STATE PARKS
Big Bog | Buffalo River | Charles A. Lindbergh | Crow Wing | Garden Island | Glendalough | Hayes Lake | Itasca | Lake Bemidji | Lake Bronson | Lake Carlos | La Salle Lake | Maplewood | Old Mill | Red River | Scenic | Schoolcraft | Zippel Bay
STATE TRAILS
Central Lakes | Heartland | Paul Bunyan
STATE PARKS
Bear Head Lake | Banning | Cascade River | Cuyuna Lakes | Father Hennepin | George H. Crosby Manitou | Gooseberry Falls | Grand Portage | Franz Jevne | Jay Cooke | Judge CR Magney | Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine | McCarthy Beach | Mille Lacs Kathio | Moose Lake | Savanna Portage | Scenic | Schoolcraft | Split Rock Lighthouse | St. Croix | Temperance River | Tettegouche
STATE TRAILS
Cuyuna Lakes | Gitchi Gami | Willard Munger
STATE PARKS
Afton | Beaver Creek Valley | Carley | Forestville/Mystery Cave | Fort Snelling | Frontenac | Great River Bluffs | Interstate | John A Latsch | Lake Louise | Lake Maria | Minnesota Valley | Myre Big Island | Nerstrand Big Woods | Rice Lake | Sakatha Lake | Whitewater | Wild River | William O’Brien
STATE TRAILS
Blazing Star | Brown’s Creek | Gateway | Goodhue Pioneer | Great River Ridge | Douglas | Mill Towns | Harmony-Preston Valley | Root River | Shooting Star
STATE PARKS
Big Stone Lake | Blue Mounds | Camden | Flandrau | Fort Ridgely | Glacial Lakes | Greenleaf Lake | Kilen Woods | Lac qui Parle | Lake Shetek | Minneopa | Monson Lake | Sibley | Split Rock Creek
STATE TRAILS
Casey Jones | Glacial Lakes | Sakatah Singing Hills
Bear Head Lake | Banning | Cascade River | Cuyuna Lakes | Father Hennepin | George H. Crosby Manitou | Gooseberry Falls | Grand Portage | Franz Jevne | Jay Cooke | Judge CR Magney | Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine | McCarthy Beach | Mille Lacs Kathio | Moose Lake | Savanna Portage | Scenic | Schoolcraft | Split Rock Lighthouse | St. Croix | Temperance River | Tettegouche
Cuyuna Lakes | Gitchi Gami | Willard Munger
Q: Where within the park was the photo taken?
A: Swinging Bridge over the St Louis River
Q: What is your connection to this place?
A: I live nearby. Since moving to Minnesota in 1981, Jay Cooke State Park has always been a favorite area due to the wild and rugged and forested terrain, and the jagged rocky gorge the river flows through.
Q: When did you take the photo, and what were the conditions?
A: The photo was taken Nov 11 2025 1-:25pm. There was a Northern Lights Alert by Space Weather at the time. There were clouds to the north in Duluth, where I live, so I headed south to Jay Cooke. On the way here I started to see a red glow to the west, so I started thinking of locations that had a good foreground in that direction. I decided to head to the swinging bridge and then hiked down below so the bridge would be highlighted/silhouetted skywards. Then I sat there and waited, hoping the red glow of the Northern Lights would return. Within a half hour it did. Fortunate that I picked this spot.
Q: What was involved in setting up this photo?
A: I used a fast f1.8 wide angle lens 14mm so that I could get in the bridge and a large portion of the sky.
Q: Is there a message or story that this photo is telling?
A: I think it puts the Aurora Borealis into context including a recognizable foreground feature in the image.
Afton | Beaver Creek Valley | Carley | Forestville/Mystery Cave | Fort Snelling | Frontenac | Great River Bluffs | Interstate | John A Latsch | Lake Louise | Lake Maria | Minnesota Valley | Myre Big Island | Nerstrand Big Woods | Rice Lake | Sakatha Lake | Whitewater | Wild River | William O’Brien
Blazing Star | Brown’s Creek | Gateway | Goodhue Pioneer | Great River Ridge | Douglas | Mill Towns | Harmony-Preston Valley | Root River | Shooting Star
Q: Where within the park was the photo taken?
A: The photo was taken at the beach at Snelling lake at Fort Snelling.
Q: What is your connection to this place?
A: Fort Snelling State Park is my local park, and I’m drawn to its rich variety of wildlife. At the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, there is always something unexpected to discover.
Q: When did you take the photo, and what were the conditions?
A: I took the photo on an early May morning. It was a perfect day to be outside, with light wind, blue skies, and the beach area all to myself. The only sounds were birds and planes landing at MSP Airport.
Q: What was involved in setting up this photo?
A: I had been looking for newly hatched Killdeer chicks after noticing on an earlier visit that the parents were guarding the area. I spotted the chicks at the same moment a Cooper’s hawk did. The hawk emerged from the trees and focused on one chick while I was positioned to capture the scene. It flared as if to grab the chick, but at the last moment pulled up, and the chick survived.
Q: Is there a message or story that this photo is telling?
A: Nature is powerful, but we rarely witness its full intensity and beauty. Often, it appears for only a moment—there, and then gone.
Big Stone Lake | Blue Mounds | Camden | Flandrau | Fort Ridgley | Glacial Lakes | Greenleaf Lake | Kilen Woods | Lac qui Parle | Lake Shetek | Minneopa | Monson Lake | Sibley | Split Rock Creek
Casey Jones | Glacial Lakes | Sakatah Singing Hills
Q: Where within the park was the photo taken?
A: The photo was taken at my campsite near the north end of the campground in Fort Ridgely State Park. I chose that campsite for its close proximity to Ft. Ridgely Creek. I thought that the sound of the babbling stream would make for a good night’s sleep. I was right! I did not realize it would also be a good place for bird watching.
Q: What is your connection to this place?
A: I had never been to Fort Ridgely State Park before and was eager to explore. In addition to its historical significance, the park has a diverse landscape, lots of hiking trails and wildlife, and sounded like an interesting place to visit. I was not disappointed!
Q: When did you take the photo, and what were the conditions?
A: I took the photo in the middle of the afternoon on a warm sunny day in June. The park was quiet except for birdsong and the aforementioned babbling stream.
Q: What was involved in setting up this photo?
A: I noticed a small nest just a few feet off the ground in some shrubs right next to my campsite. A yellow warbler soon flew in and settled herself onto the nest. I took some photos of her using a telephoto lens so I would not disturb her. I figured her mate must be nearby and sure enough I found him flitting around in the canopy of nearby trees searching for bugs. It was pure luck that he found that green caterpillar when he was in the open, or I never would have captured that shot.
Q: Is there a message or story that this photo is telling?
A: “It’s not easy being green.”
Thank you to everyone who participated by sharing these incredible photos of Minnesota's State Parks and Trails.
January 9, 2026 – Submissions process opens
June 21, 2026 @ midnight – Submissions close
June 22-25, 2026 – Judging selection process
July 2, 2026 – Winners announced online and on social media no later than this date.
A panel of judges will be choosing the winners using the following criteria:
1. Content – capturing the unique qualities, experiences, or beauty of that park or trail. Photos from any season is welcome.
2. Composition – the framing and balance of elements within the shot.
3. Technical Quality – the lighting, crispness, color, and focus of the shot.
All photos (not just the winners) have the potential to be featured with photographer credit in our 2027 calendar. Any photographer whose photo is selected will receive copies of the calendar.
Hints for increasing chances of being featured:
First-place photos from each category will be published in Minnesota Trails Magazine, which is distributed to all state parks and many bike shops and mailed to P&TC members.
Gift cards to Minnesota State Parks will be awarded as follows for each of the 4 categories.
1st – $50 value
2nd – $40 value
3rd – $30 value
All submitted photos (that abide by the rules and criteria) will be displayed on this page of our website and winners will be recognized.
All winning photographs will be recognized on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
