Real people. Real forests. Real moments.
Real people. Real forests. Real moments.Submit your best lived in moments captured in America's forests and win big! Submissions close on September 30th 11:59 PM PT. Enter Your Photo Today!
Your photos. Your forests. Your moments—exactly as they happened.
No filters. No staging. No perfect lighting required. Just the lived experiences that make America’s National Forests worth showing up for.
Three categories. Endless stories. The land as it is, the faces that call it home, and the adventures that bring you back.
Submit by September 30th. Winners announced in mid-November. Sign up for Tree-Mail™ for photo inspiration, trip ideas, trail guides, and contest updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Submit your best photo in one or all three categories. Winners are chosen per category, with one Grand Prize winner.
The soul of the forest. Old-growth canopies, mountain vistas, misty rivers, sun-drenched meadows. No people required. Just the land doing what it does.
The wild faces that call the forest home. Bears at the water’s edge, birds in mid-flight, or deer in the meadow. Those magical moments you can’t believe you saw.
The pursuits that bring you here, like fly fishing, trail running, bird watching, stargazing, and camping with family. The special moments only you could have taken.
Media Host · Educator · Solutions-Builder
Known as “Browngirl Green”, Kristy Drutman is a media host, educator, and co-founder of the Green Jobs Board — a climate tech startup building a more diverse environmental movement. She’s spent her career proving that the best stories come from the people who show up.
Photographer · Filmmaker · Drone Pioneer
Breckenridge-based photographer and filmmaker Joseph Large has spent his career chasing the shot no one else could get. As one of the first FAA-licensed commercial drone pilots in the nation, he has had his work featured on National Geographic, BBC Earth, the Discovery Channel, and PBS—and has caught Nikon’s attention along the way. From the peaks of Peru to America’s most remote landscapes, Joseph tells stories through a lens that makes you feel like you were there.
Adventure Photographer · Educator · @ladylockoff
Known as @ladylockoff, Irene Yee is a West Coast-based adventure photographer and National Geographic Adventure contributor whose work has appeared in Climbing Magazine, Outside, and Alpinist. With clients such as The North Face and the Honnold Foundation, she’s built a career on finding inspiration in passion rather than muscle — and she brings that same energy to judging. Everyone’s shot is worth taking.
Ottawa National Forest. Photo by Christopher Brink 
Fremont-Winema National Forests. Photo by Ross Steensland 
Colville National Forest. Photo by Joanie Christian 
Eldorado National Forest. Photo by Phil Reedy 
Manti-La Sal National Forest. Photo by Paul Stolen 
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Photo by Tom Hellauer 
Daniel Boone National Forest. Photo by Will Fenwick 
Coronado National Forest. Photo by Rick Williams 
Monongahela National Forest. Photo by Frank Gebhard