Photographer Jose Torres won the Night Sky category of the Share The Experience contest with this incredible shot of the Milky Way at Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. Located almost 70 miles west of Key West, the 100-square mile park is mostly open water with seven small islands. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the park is known for the magnificent Fort Jefferson, picturesque blue waters, great snorkeling and amazing night skies. Photo by Jose Torres (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Congrats to Manish Mamtani for winning the 2017 Share The Experience photo contest. This stunning shot of the Milky Way over Maine’s Acadia National Park will grace next year’s America the Beautiful public lands pass. Manish captured this photo at the park’s Boulder Beach while on a weekend getaway. “After taking this picture, we spent a couple of hours at the Boulder Beach enjoying the beautiful clear star-filled sky and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks. It was very beautiful and peaceful experience and we had the whole beach to ourselves,” said Manish.
Check out all of the winning photos.
Photo courtesy of Manish Mamtani (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Halloween is a fun time to scare ourselves with things that go bump in the night, but the night sky doesn’t need to be terrifying. Many people find peace looking up at the endless dome of stars. There’s also the thrill of watching a lightning storm light up the darkness like a camera flash. This amazing shot from Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah shows you why you don’t need to be afraid of the dark. Photo by Alexander Boardman (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Nothing compares to staying up all night, watching the stars twinkle overhead. Derek Culver captured this amazing pic at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. The lights on the mountain: A few climbers getting an early start to the summit under the Milky Way. Photo courtesy of Derek Culver.
Located in the northwest corner of Lake Superior Isle Royale National Park in Michigan is the place to go for solitude. The park is an island of roadless backcountry reachable only by boat or seaplane – making it the least visited national park in the lower 48 states. Photographer Carl TerHaar captured this moonrise from Pickerel Cove, one of the islands’ campgrounds that consists of a narrow ridge accessible by small boat. Full moon photo courtesy of Carl TerHaar.
Arches National Park in Utah is the perfect place to snuggle into your sleeping bag and spend the night counting stars. Towering rock formations reach for the Milky Way as the magnificent landscape surrounds you in silence. Photo by Allen Utzig (www.sharetheexperience.org).
One of the most famous and recognizable landmarks for the pioneer travelers on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails, Chimney Rock is still an icon on Nebraska’s landscape. Today, Chimney Rock and its surrounding environs look much as they did when the first settlers passed through in the mid 1800s. Photo of the Milky Way erupting over Chimney Rock courtesy of Jesse Attanasio.
Located in northern Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park is a land of spectacular beauty and rich history. It hugs the outer edges of the northern boreal forest, and its interconnected lakes were once roads for travel and trade. The park is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of a boreal forest, ply the interconnected water routes and view the dark skies. If you’re lucky, you might even see the Northern Lights dancing overhead. Photo courtesy of Jim and Will Pattiz.
Photographer Jose Torres took advantage of a cross country move to take pictures in national parks along the way. One of his favorite stops was Badlands National Park in South Dakota where he captured this amazing scene of the unique rock formations glowing in the light of the moon and the Milky Way. What a shot! Photo courtesy of Jose Torres.
Ever wonder what’s the difference between a national park, monument and forest? All this week, we’re breaking down the different types of America’s public lands and why they’re all so special. First up: National monuments – they protect a specific natural, cultural or historic feature. For example, the Sonoran Desert National Monument in Arizona is the most biologically diverse of the North American deserts, and its namesake monument protects an extensive saguaro cactus forest that visitors can hike through to see classic desert vistas. Photo of the Milky Way shining above saguaro cacti by Bob Wick, @mypubliclands
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