America’s State Parks in partnership with ReserveAmerica.com is proud to share the winners of the fifth annual America’s State Parks Photo Contest. The judging panel was inspired by over 10,000 entries representing five categories, including: Activities, Wildlife, Family & Friends, Scenic & Seasons, and Camping.
Check out all six photo contest winner stories below and be inspired to plan your next state park visit!
Grand Prize Winner
Photographer: Dean Schumacher
Location: Tishomingo State Park, Mississippi
Prize: Ultimate Camping Package including an Apex Club Membership along with camping and recreational gear (valued at $2,500)
This beautiful fall photo is called “Swinging bridge” and was taken with a Nikon D40. Dean started getting serious about photography about five years ago and said, “This park was the last trip on our whirlwind tour of three states chasing fall colors in 2020. When we got to the swinging bridge, I couldn’t believe how beautiful the colors were and decided to take a photo of my wife walking across it.”
When asked what state parks mean to him, he said, “My father used to take me traveling with him when I was much younger those were some of the happiest days of my life. I have been all over this country to many national parks and state parks. So, it was instilled in me at a young age to explore and enjoy the wilderness. I have found some beautiful places that go unnoticed by folks who visit the larger parks. So, I guess for me, I’m inspired by people wanting to know new places. I enjoy showing people places and encouraging them to visit parks they have never seen before.”
Scenic & Seasons Category Winner
Photographer: Derrick Cape
Location: El Dorado State Park, Kansas
This is our most popular category receiving half of the contest entries. This unique photo of sailboats in Kansas caught the attention from the judges. Derrick started photography in 2020 and used his Fujifilm XT30 to capture this great image.
“My mother and father are part of the Walnut Valley Sailing Club where the picture was taken, and they have been sailing for about 10 years. I was back home visiting for my birthday around Labor Day weekend. I hadn’t originally thought to take a long exposure of the lake with sailboats on it, but after seeing the reflection in the water I decided I had to!“
“My older sister actually saw the advertisement on Facebook and sent it to me. She remembered this photo and thought it would be a good one to submit. Many people do not associate sailing with the outdoors, and it is not an extremely common hobby so I thought that it could also spark some interest for those who would not think to see a row of sailboats at a state park.”
Camping Category Winner
Photographer: Forrest McClure
Location: Eleven Mile State Park, Colorado
The judges felt Forrest McClure’s photo titled “Ranger’s Cabin” really captured a great spot to camp and was this year’s winner. Forrest scrambled up some rocks at the campground for fun and liked the view. He forgot his camera and took this photo with his Motorola phone.
“This was our second visit to Eleven Mile State Park, but we’ve returned to it a couple of times since then. In fact, I received your notification that I was one of the winners while staying at Eleven Mile. That same day I actually met the person who owned the little Airstream trailer in the photo. She had just found out about it from the park manager who had shown it to her. The synchronicity amazed me.”
Activities Category Winner
Photographer: Colleen Thurman
Location: Wilson-Tuscarora State Park, New York
Colleen is a real estate agent and took this photo with her cell phone. “I began kayaking about three years ago. I often kayak on Lake Ontario to watch the sunset with my girlfriend. This night we were blessed to see the most spectacular sunset I have ever seen.”
When asked what state parks mean to her, she said, “Number one is the value because I can afford to book weekends for my husband and me, daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons. We haven’t had to travel far to create wonderful memories over the years. The state parks may not have all the amenities that the overpriced places do, but we don’t miss it. The state parks are always well maintained, safe, and peaceful.”
Wildlife Category Winner
Photographer: Demetri Kraniak
Location: Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, Florida
The judges selected a cool action shot of a heron catching and flying away with a fish fighting in its bill.
Demetri is retired and photography has been his hobby for 50 years. He said, “We love visiting state parks in Florida as we are snowbirds. We enjoy all the opportunities to be in and observe nature as much as possible.” He’s been to this state park several times and was staying for a week. He captured this photo while walking on the beach and saw the heron catch a fish and started taking multiple pictures as it flew away. He used a Canon 6D with Canon 70-300 zoom.
Friends & Family Category Winner
Photographer: Antonio Munoz
Location: Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Nevada
Antonio and his friends stopped to take a picture with his iPhone as they were captivated by the beauty of fall colors. “I’ve been a avid hiker for over 10 years and have always loved the outdoors. I started taking my youngest daughter hiking when she was 6 years old for bird watching and short hikes. A little over two years ago three of my co-workers started joining us on our hikes. Since then our group has grown to six regular hikers. We are all registered nurses and hike one to two times per month on our weekends off. This has helped us keep our sanity especially during the pandemic when work is quite draining and stressful.”
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated in the 2021 America’s State Parks Photo Contest!
Are you ready for an outdoor adventure? Plan your camping trip!
Check with your Local Government Organization
Many policies have been established to counter and control the coronavirus outbreak. State and local officials have been taking decisive action to stop the spread. The policies vary by state, sometimes to a great degree. When you book a reservation, make sure to review the park and state’s latest rules and regulations prior to your visit.
For COVID-19 updates, please visit our Impacted Park List and Reservation Guide for the latest information.