Friends of Council Grounds State Park accepting entries for 2026 photo contest

MERRILL – The Friends of Council Grounds State Park (FoCGSP) has started accepting entries for its 2026 photography contest and will accept photos through the end of the month in four different categories, with winners to be chosen by public vote.

Photos may be submitted through Friday, July 31. Entries should be emailed, along with the photographer’s contact information, to cgphotos@hotmail.com.

The four categories are plants, wildlife, people using the park and landscapes. Photos in the people category may not include easily identifiable faces.

The contest is open to amateur photographers only. Photos must be taken within the park during 2025 or 2026, and each person may enter one photo, which must have been taken by that person.

Edited, digitally enhanced, and panoramic images will not be accepted, and entries should be submitted as clear, color JPEG files suitable for reproduction at eight by 10 inches.

Members of the FoCGSP, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) employees and their families are not eligible.

Each entry must include the category in which it is being entered and, if desired, a title, along with the date the photo was taken and the photographer’s name, mailing address, email address and phone number.

The first-place winner in each category will receive a one-year state park vehicle admission sticker valid from December 2026 through December 2027. Second-place winners will receive a Council Grounds merchandise certificate valued at up to $15, redeemable at the park.

FoCGSP members will narrow the entries to the top three in each category. Those photos will be displayed for public viewing at the park office and the T.B. Scott Free Library in Merrill from Saturday, Aug. 15 through Monday, Aug. 31. Public voting will take-place during that period on the Friends of Council Grounds State Park Facebook page, and votes may also be submitted by email.

Full rules are available at the park office and at www.councilgrounds.org. Updates will be posted on the Friends of Council Grounds State Park Facebook page.