Nature’s Finest: Top 10 Picks from Our Natural Wonders Photo Contest

We’re thrilled to reveal the winners of our 2025 Natural Wonders Photo Contest!

From dramatic landscapes to quiet moments of natural beauty, these ten photos capture the awe-inspiring essence of our planet. Five were chosen by reader votes, and five were hand-selected by our editorial team.

Let these stunning shots spark your desire to travel, explore, and reconnect with the natural world.

First up, the People’s Choice winners, followed by our Editor’s Picks.

People’s Choice

1. Tranquility of Nature

Grand Winner

Photographer’s Name: Syed Sajidul Islam

Location of Photo: Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Description: Scenic View of the Lake at Dulahazra Safari Park. It is located in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, offers a serene and picturesque landscape within the park’s vast wildlife conservation area.

2. Shark Fin Cove

Photographer’s Name: Sandra Cunha-Rocha

Location of Photo: Davenport, California

Description: This photo was taken in July of 2024, spent the evening chasing the Milky Way.

3. Sunrise over Cove Mountain

Photographer’s Name: Frank Hosek

Location of Photo: Wears Valley, Tennessee, just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Description: Watched as storm clouds drifted across Cove Mountain as the first rays of the day broke across its peak.

4. Mountain Majesty

Photographer’s Name: Abigail Parch

Location of Photo: Alamosa, Colorado

Description: As visitors turn onto the entrance road to Great Sand Dunes National Park, they are met with the stunning view of the world’s largest sand dunes set against the majestic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. If you were to visit the park 100 times, you would see 100 different landscapes as the sand constantly moves with the wind, altering the topography. This particular photo was taken during the spring when snowmelt from the mountain creates a river through the base of the dunes, creating the lush greenery you see creeping up the dunes.

5. Iceberg Explosion Antarctica

Photographer’s Name: Robin Pachtman

Location of Photo: Antarctica

Description: Floating in a Zodiac, taking in the tranquil waters off the peninsula of Antarctica, this magnificent ‘explosion’ of an iceberg sits regally on her own. There are few places on earth as majestic as the pearly white snow and luminescent blues of the icebergs and glaciers in Antarctica.

Editor’s Picks

In the Heart of the Reef

Photographer’s Name: Ayan Adak

Location of Photo: Heart Reef, Great Barrier Reef

Description: A scenic flight from Airlie Beach will let you uncover a different way of exploring the Reef, not from below but from above, offering breathtaking views of the turquoise and white expanse that is the Great Barrier Reef

Perito Moreno Glacier

Photographer’s Name: Sam Sarkar

Location of Photo: Glacier National Park, Argentina

Description: The photo was taken from the boat as we sailed towards the glacier before we started our hike on the glacier. It was cold, windy and snowing, but I got a good shot from the deck of the boat.

Aurora

Photographer’s Name: Joe Lampart

Location of Photo: Nome, Alaska

Description: A late evening display of the Northern Lights on a desolate back road out of town.

Amazing Sunrise

Photographer’s Name: Kathleen Wasselle

Location of Photo: Torres del Paine NP, Chile

Description: The wind in Torres del Paine National Park was fierce this morning. Standing upright was not an option. The clouds were screaming across the sky, creating this beautiful scene. I knew that it was going to be a brilliant sunrise if I could just tough it out. As the sun crested the horizon, a warm yellow began to illuminate the sky. The turquoise water reflected the glow of the sunrise. The reflection never fully materialized but the gorgeous colors held their own. Patagonia is a beautiful place to visit. There is so much diversity around each corner.

Cannon Beach

Photographer’s Name: Robert Demasi

Location of Photo: Cannon Beach, Oregon

Description: Spectacular overview of Cannon Beach

Thanks for celebrating this round of winners! To be the first to know when our next photo contest launches, subscribe to our free newsletter—packed with updates, travel inspiration, and more.

• View all of the Natural Wonders Contest submissions here
• Check out our Wildlife Contest winners here