July 2, 2026 – Winners announced online and on social media
Guidelines
Details and judging criteria
Photo Requirements
Photo must be taken in a state park or trail in Minnesota.
Limit of 4 photos per person.
Photo must be taken and owned by the person submitting (e.g., copyright has not been sold to another person or entity).
Photo must be in .jpeg or .jpg format.
Photo must not depict anything against the rules of the park or trail where the photo was taken.
The recommended size of the photo is:
300 dpi.
At least 2,000 pixels on the longest side. Larger images are encouraged and may improve your photo’s quality.
The winning photos must be of sufficient quality to use in print publications.
Less than 8 MB.
Photos must not be digitally altered beyond standard optimization.
Acceptable changes include adjustments to color, contrast, brightness, and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black-and-white conversions; and use of HDR (High Dynamic Range), where multiple exposures of the same scene are combined for a greater tonal range, and similar processes for extended depth of field.
Judging Criteria
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.
Prizes
Variety of Prizes
Calendar Feature
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:
Consider submitting spring, winter, or fall photos, rather than summer.
Submit horizontal photos that would fill a calendar page.
Magazine Feature
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.
State Park Gift Cards
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
Online Recognition
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.
Submission Form
Northwest
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
Northeast
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
Southeast
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
Southwest
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
