In 2014, our nation celebrated "50 Years of Wilderness". On September 3, 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Wilderness Act. This bill established the National Wilderness Preservation System and set aside millions of acres of wildlands for the use and benefit of the American people. The majority of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is designated as a wilderness area. At nine million acres, it is the largest in a system of 757 wilderness areas throughout the United States. Wilderness Act 50th Anniversary Photo Contest
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve invited photographers to enter its 2014 Digital Photo Contest. Here is information about our winner: Fredrick C. Denner of Dan Creek, AK, submitted a photo of the Mile High Cliffs, located near McCarthy, AK. Here is the description that he submitted with his photo: "The mountains remain...standing sentinel over hundreds of years of human activity, the Mile High Cliffs are unchanged. Natives, miners, hunters, trappers, and tourists have all pursued their own ambitions in the shadow of these cliffs. The mountains remain..."
The park chose Mr. Denner's photo as the winner because it exhibited high photographic qualities and because it shows the Mile High Cliffs, which are located in designated wilderness. High mountain peaks and cliffs are often what people think of when they think of wilderness in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve. The park also liked his narrative about how the mountains remain and how the Mile High Cliffs are unchanged.
A framed copy of the winning photo is on display at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center. We are also giving out free postcards of the photo to visitors. The park will be presenting a framed copy of the photo to Mr. Denner as a prize for winning the contest.
Thank you to all who submitted entries! And thank you to all who support wilderness!
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Last updated: April 14, 2015