Scenic Michigan

The Scenic Landscapes Photo Contest category is often times one of the most exciting ones to publish because it really shows off Michigan's diverse geography. I like to think that this broad category covers our Mission Statement in it's entirety with how many unique visuals are in each submission!

This years winner comes from just about as far west as you can go in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and combines a beautiful view with the perfect timing of a lightning strike. Congratulations to Robert Freeman on this amazing photo!

Winner:

Lightning Strike Seen From Mt. Zion, by Robert Freeman (Ironwood)

Runner-Ups:

DH Day Barn, by Michele Aucello (Glen Arbor)
Rural Cass County Sunset, by Jason Ciesiolka (Cass County)
Autumn Colors, by Laurie Jacobson (Gobles)
Dawn Frolic, by Sophie Smit (Huron-Manistee)
Beaming Country Sunrise, by Clare Loveless (Baraga County – Pelkie)
Fall Barn at Sleeping Bear Dunes, by Daniela Goen (Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore)
The Snowy Sunrise, by Amanda Bergeron (Oscoda)

Scenic Byways, Roads, and Trails is one of the most important categories of our photo contest since Scenic Byways advocacy is central to our mission statement!

This year choosing the winner of this category was especially difficult since we had so many photos sent in from various seasons, locations, and types of pathways! However, we are proud to announce that the winning photo for the 2025 Scenic Byways, Roads, and Trails category is:

Golden Hour Train Reflections, by Joe Zopf (Grand Ledge)

This amazing photo has a little bit of everything. From the golden sunset to the calm river and dense foliage covering the train tracks; this photo really showcases how the built environment can interact with Michigan’s natural features!

We also want to share all of our runner-up photos for this category below. Thank you everyone for your amazing entries!

Runners-up:

The Road to Presque Isle Lighthouse, by Sophie Smit (Presque Isle)

Autumn Passage, by Patrick Russell (Fallasburg)

Winter in Largo, By Amanda Bergeron (Oscoda, Largo Springs)

Porcupine Mountain Trail, by Laurie Jacobson (Ontonagon County)

A 5 Mile View, by Angela Streblow (St. Ignace)

Covered Road, by Brenda Anttila (Houghton County, Atlantic Mine)

After months of collecting photos and judging we are excited to announce our overall winner for our 2025 Scenic Michigan Photo Contest!

This years winner is Marquette Aurora by Michele Aucello, taken off the coast line in beautiful Marquette.

This striking photograph captures the natural beauty that Scenic Michigan works to promote and protect. Featuring the tranquil waters of Lake Superior’s iconic shoreline, framed by lush green landscapes, all illuminated by the breathtaking glow of the northern lights, the image showcases the extraordinary diversity of scenery found across our state all in one frame.

This view is especially rare for those outside of Michigan because we are so fortunate to have such amazing views of auroras.

Over the next six weeks we will be sharing the winners of the individual categories from our 2025 Photo Contest, so stay tuned for many more photos to enjoy and congratulations to Michele!