Calling All Photographers

If you enjoy photographing West Virginia State Parks, Forests, and Rail Trails, the West Virginia State Parks Foundation invites you to enter your pictures in the Mountains Are Always Free Photo Contest.

The contest will run from December 10, 2025 through February 28, 2026, and is open to both amateur and professional photographers.  Pictures will be accepted in three categories:

1. Winterscape: Photos of beautiful winter scenery/nature on WV State Park areas

2. Fancy Facilities: Winter photos of special WV State Park area buildings, facilities or features

3. Outdoor Recreation: Winter photos of your favorite WV State Park area outdoor recreation activities (hiking, fishing, etc.)

Winners in each category will receive a free two-night stay at a West Virginia Resort State Park, other special prizes, and be featured with photographer credit on the West Virginia State Parks Foundation website, social media, news releases and publications.

Contest Rules

By submitting a photo to this contest, you agree to the following rules:

Only three photos may be submitted per individual, per category. Submission must be received by February 28, 2026. All photos must be original. Light edits/enhancements only – images with heavy effects, manipulations, watermarks, unnatural saturation, exposure, or contrast will not be considered. Entrants must obtain written permission from any individual or group of individuals featured in a photograph and submit with photo.  West Virginia State Parks Foundation and WVDNR staff will make selections based on the quality, composition, content, originality, creativity, and mass appeal. Decisions are final and in sole and absolute discretion of staff. By entering the contest, you grant the Foundation and WVDNR  a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising and promotion of the Foundation and its website, exhibition, and commercial products, including but not limited to Foundation publications. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit as feasible. The West Virginia State Parks Foundation nor WVDNR will be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.