Call for Entries: “Share the Experience” photo contest

Entry Deadline: December 31, 2013

Love photography and the great outdoors? The 2013 Share the Experience photo contest could be your chance to shine! This competition invites amateur photographers to submit photos that showcase the best of America's federal lands, National Parks, and historic sites for a chance to win a $15,000 grand prize. Start uploading and you could also be one of the lucky weekly winners to recieve an Annual Federal Recreation Lands Pass.

This year's competition runs through December 31, 2013, with winners announced by May 1, 2014. Photos must have been taken by the contestant between January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2013, on lands from the following participating agencies: National Park Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service. See the list at the bottom of this page for eligible areas near our Northern California hostels.

Contestants must be a legal residents of the U.S and at least 13 years old, and cannot make more than 20% of their income from photography. Entries will be judged on originality, artistic composition, technical quality, photographic technique, and whether the photo showcases America’s finest recreational opportunities. Besides cropping, pictures cannot be altered in any way.

Share the Experience is the official photo contest for America's National Parks and federal recreation lands, showcasing more than 500 million acres of public lands. Hosted by the U.S Department of Interior, last year's competition brought in more than 25,000 photos submitted by over 16,000 participants. The grand prize was awarded to Katherine Hawkins of Hyde Park, New York, for her photo of Wyoming's Bridger Teton National Forest. Find Katherine's image here, along with other winning entries in ten breathtaking locations.

Check out the list below for eligible areas near our Northern California hostels.

HI-Marin Headlands Hostel

HI-Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel