This Selfie Contest Can Earn You a VIP National Park Getaway

It’s hard to fully capture the beauty of the great outdoors through a camera lens, but the rewards are sweet. A frameable or Insta-worthy photo atop Half Dome or overlooking the Grand Canyon is worth a million words (and priceless memories), and now the National Park Foundation is willing to offer something even more.

Until September 28, the foundation’s #PicYourParkContest is in full swing, and the grand prize offers a flight and a two-night-stay in or near any national park in the continental U.S., plus a month-long lease of a brand new Subaru. All it takes to enter is completing three easy steps, having a sense of adventure, and owning a smart phone.

Just visit a participating park or monument, snap a selfie (make sure your face is visible!), and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #PicYourParkContest and the corresponding geotag for your location in the park. As you visit more parks, you’ll earn points for each, and can even score extra during specified “boost periods” at certain parks. Different parks will earn you different point values and, depending on the park’s relevance, will also score you certain badges including Adventurer, Patriot, Aquaphile, Monumental Achiever, History Buff, and Trailblazer.

Visitors can browse a list of participating parks across the country, which include legendary spots like Alcatraz Island, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Bandelier National Monument, and Zion National Park.

Ongoing progress can be tracked on the site’s frequently-updated leaderboard, so you can scope out the competition, see where you stand, and inspire other adventurers with your park selfies.

Last we checked, the leading contestant was close to 170 park visits—so hurry up and get exploring!