National Park Service announces winner of Acadia National Park's 2017 annual entrance pass contest

Date: December 20, 2016
Contact: John Kelly, 207-288-8703

The National Park Service has selected a photograph by John Kaznecki of South Thomaston, Maine, as the winner of Acadia National Park’s 2017 annual entrance pass contest. The photograph portrays Hadlock Brook just downstream from the Hemlock Bridge on the Around-Mountain carriage road in Acadia National Park. The photograph will appear on thousands of annual entrance passes purchased by visitors from all over the country. As a show of thanks, Mr. Kaznecki will receive an America the Beautiful interagency annual pass ($80 value), which can be used at over 2,000 federal recreation areas nationwide.

“We are excited to have received more than 200 entries from 20 states as far away as California,” said Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “We thank everyone who submitted images and appreciate their outstanding expression of creativity and talent.”

The NPS retains 80 percent of the fees collected from annual entrance pass sales to invest in critical improvements that directly benefit visitors at Acadia National Park, including maintaining and enhancing visitor facilities. The annual entrance pass revenues are also essential for funding the operation of the Island Explorer bus system, which serves Acadia and its surrounding communities. The NPS uses the remaining 20% to benefit other sites in the National Park System.