Our 13 Favorite Photos from 2013

Here at Park E-ventures world headquarters, we see hundreds and hundreds of photos every year. In its own way, each of these images captures the natural beauty, cultural richness, conservation ethic, and human warmth that imbue these national parks.

But a select few photographs make our short list of favorites. They are the images that delight, amaze, and startle us again to the wonders of our parklands.

Be the first to see the latest and greatest eye-popping park photos; be sure to “like” the Parks Conservancy on Facebook. And we’d love to see your best images, too, feel free to post to Facebook, Instagram (@parks4all), or Flickr.

We hope you enjoy some of the best images from 2013, and wish you many, many more picture-perfect moments in our parks in 2014!

Just when we think we’ve seen the Golden Gate Bridge from every possible angle, a whole new perspective—like this one, from Fort Baker, with Lime Point Lighthouse in the foreground—dazzles us all over again. Mason Cummings/Parks Conservancy

On an introductory park tour for new staff, the sky offered this most glorious welcome at Point Bonita. Yakuta Poonawalla

At the Muir Woods Earth Day volunteer event, 77-year-old Paul Gurian shows the power of giving makes a soul strong—at any age. Mason Cummings/Parks Conservancy

At the other end of the spectrum, even the littlest ones can make a big difference in the wide spaces of our national parks.

For the lucky ones among us who work at—or commute through—Rob Hill Campground in the Presidio, this fairyland-like sight never fails to enchant. Mark Pothier

For the lucky ones among us who work at—or commute through—Rob Hill Campground in the Presidio, this fairyland-like sight never fails to enchant. Mark Pothier

A canine connoisseur of modern art pays homage to one of the pieces by Mark di Suvero on Crissy Field. Maria Durana/NPS

Given the difficult light environment of Muir Woods and the bird’s camouflage, this photo of a barred owl (an invasive species a Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

In the words of the project coordinator who captured this image: "Sunrise invasive plant work in Mount Tamalpais State Park. 5:30 am alarm is brutal but worth it for the views!" Catey Ritchie

Water drops bejewel some lupine, the host plant for the endangered mission blue butterfly. Yakuta Poonawalla

A Golden Gate Raptor Observatory volunteer snapped this photo in the Headlands; no one saw why the bobcats went up the pole, or when they came down. Robyn Boothby

Two of the most-photographed icons in the park (Alcatraz and the Golden Gate) are captured in an astonishing, fresh way, thanks to a blanket of stars—and Persian carpet (Drosanthemum floribundum) Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

During her visit to Crissy Field, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell shares a joyful moment with Park Stewardship restoration intern Marcela Maldonado. Charlotte Fiorito

It’s been a long and fulfilling year at the Parks Conservancy—time to relax, take stock of all we’ve accomplished together, and look to an even brighter future!