The judging is complete – and what an incredible celebration of BWCA’s wild beauty and remarkable wilderness lovers! After reviewing hundreds of stunning entries that captured everything from misty morning paddles to starlit campsites, we’re thrilled to finally announce our photo contest winners.

Each image truly embodied the spirit and untamed wonder of the Boundary Waters, making our judges’ decision incredibly difficult. Thank you to everyone who shared their special moments with us – your photographs remind us why this wilderness holds such a precious place in all our hearts.

Winner: On the Water

This is one of our favorite categories – the quintessential Boundary Waters experience, paddling a canoe. This silhouetted pair appears out of the mist, beneath the towering trees that are reflected in a calm lake.

Winner Angie Smith told us she took this photo while traveling with a group of former Peace Corps workers, on Crooked Lake. “At dawn,” she writes “two (most likely) Canadian paddlers emerged from the mist, their rhythmic ‘Hut-Huts’ echoing through the serene morning as they journeyed southward through the Boundary Waters.” Our judges loved the darker colors, quiet mist and silhouetted paddlers that could have been any one of us!

Winner: Wildlife

It’s been a long time since a moose picture won our Wildlife photo contest – but this shot of a moose staring us down out of the tall grass and shadows connected with our judges. Winner Alex Leslie called it “an encounter of a lifetime.”

“I was paddling through a remote bog creek shortly after sunrise on a clear, quiet September morning — one of those BWCA situations where you just feel in the air that something special might happen. A beaver had slapped its tail, so I was looking backwards over my shoulder after it and floating slowly along. As I turned forward, suddenly I saw the moose right there, no more than a rod away from me.”

“Despite his incredible size (and the adrenaline rush!), I felt perfectly at peace. I love this photo because I can see the kindness, gentleness, and curiosity in his eyes and posture that I felt in that moment. I think in his way he could feel the same from me. We lingered a minute together and then each went our separate ways.”

Winner: Landscape

Our ever-popular Landscape category this year boasted over 200 entries! Each photograph captured something magical – whether it was golden light dancing across the water, ancient rock walls, or untamed shorelines – making our judges final choice wonderfully difficult. Maybe that’s why our judges loved this Mark Tade photograph from Basswood Lake. Canoe, shoreline, cedar and sunset – this photograph has it all!

“I think a more appropriate name for Basswood Lake would be White Cedar Lake,” Photographer Mark Tade writes. “The shore of Basswood Lake is lined with amazing old Northern white cedars (Thuja occidentalis) which are in the cypress family Cupressaceae.”

“It had been a very hot day but my brother and I paddled out to the tip of the point at sunset to fish a little and take some photos,” Mark said. “I had my eye on this particular old tree for several days, waiting for the right light.” Well, our judges think you found it!

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Winner: Kids

This year’s winning photo marked a milestone for Signe Hushagen and her husband Ruben. Their annual trip to the Boundary Waters expanded to include a new addition – their one-year old toddler Ronan, who joined them for his first Boundary Waters trip!

They shared many great photos – which, along with our other kids entries – brought smiles to our judges faces. As cute as this picture is, it was still a difficult choice for our judges! And this entry could’ve been a crossover entry in the wildlife category. (Bonus points for having the presence of mind to bring a bear outfit!) This little critter looks like he fit right in. A perfect next generation BWCA traveler!

Winner: Friends and Family

This year’s Friends and Family photo captures a moment many of us know too well – making the best of a rainy day huddled under a tarp. And this was no ordinary rainstorm!

Winner Pete Halvorsen writes, “This photo was taken at 7:20pm after a tough entry day on June 18, 2024.  That day had historic rainfall totals and by that point we were completely soaked.  Typically we make a fire and do a big steak dinner on the first night, but there was no chance of fire that day.  We hunkered down in the shelter and put together a nice little mini feast and cheered right up.  Hot chocolate still tastes good with pruney fingers.” 

“We love the BWCA and spending time together as a family,” Halvorsen said. “It’s the best trip of the year, even when you get historic rains and floods.”

But as the rain continued, and the water started rising, the paddle out from their trip became one of the greatest challenges they’ve ever faced in the BWCA. After paddling against currents and walking portages that became rivers, they finally made it out safely. You can hear more about their family’s high-water journey here on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.

Winner: Dogs

So…this pick might be a bit controversial. You may notice that there is no dog in this photo, the winner in the “Dogs” category. Our winning Photographer Alan Toczydlowski made a statement this year by entering a number of photos of 4-month old kitten “Smudge” into the Dogs category. And…yeah, he’s right…there’s not a great category in our contest for kittens.

So that left it for our judges to decide. After all, there’s just something about a dog on a Boundary Waters trip – but a cat?

“As a cat-parent myself, I was skeptical,” writes Alan. “However, it turned out that Smudge was the highlight of the trip. She walked down the portages on her leash, warmed our laps around the fire, and provided constant entertainment around camp and in the canoe.”

Nothing against all the great dog photos people sent in, but our judges had to agree with Alan. And in the Photo Contest version of a dogfight, this kitten rose to the occasion and topped them all! Our judges were enamored with Smudge, and couldn’t resist a new winner in the Dogs category. Tell us we’re wrong!

Winner: Winter

The winner of our Winter category is Ben Harker, of a determined ice-angler headed across a snowy lake, into the mist, ready to find a few small lakers on Daniels Lake. This photo is also special because it memorialized his friend’s first BWCA trip in any season – a brave soul!

Winner: Vintage

We received some cool old photos in the Vintage category that brought back memories of old t-shirts, rucksacks, giant walleye, and tackling the Boundary Waters in jeans.

This photo taken on the Granite River route near Saganaga was sent in by Kelsey Neumann. It brought a DIY 1970s vibe that almost(?) seems back in style today.
“My grandpa was an avid outdoorsman,” writes Kelsey. “He loved the Boundary Waters and we spent time there as an extended family every summer. He was a woodworker by trade and made his own canoe and paddles. A lot heavier than the Kevlar canoes of today but man was it a thing of beauty. He lives in my memory smoking a pipe and paddling that canoe with his dog, Mick in the front.”

A big congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to all of our photo contest entrants! We hope these shots have inspired you to get outside and add to your own BWCA photo collection. Want to see more great photos? Check out our 2023 winners, 2022 winners and 2021 winners or follow us on Instagram. And to start getting ready for next year’s contest – check out these tips, and a presentation on better canoe and kayak photos from professional photographer Bryan Hansel.