Welcome to the Treasures of The Gold Belt Byway 2022 Photo Competition, where visitors and residents of communities along the Gold Belt Scenic Byway will have a chance to win a mounted canvas of your photo or other prizes!

The rules are simple, and entering is easy! Start by snapping photos, fill out the form below and attach your favorite photo(s) taken along the Gold Belt Byway!

The competition runs from April 15th, 2022 through August 31st, 2022.

The themes for this photo competition explore different ways to express cultural and environmental sustainability. What does cultural heritage, beautification, conservation, and recreation mean to you? Show us through your images!

Take a look at our FAQ section for any immediate questions, as well as to see the submission information. The competition will be judged by professional photographers and artists based in Gold Belt Byway communities.

We are excited to see the treasures you capture!

Rules & Regulations

You must be 18 years or older to enter this competition. Those under 18 years of age must complete entry with permission from a parent or guardian. The Treasures of Gold Belt Byway 2022 Photo Competition is free to enter but a valid entry form must be completed with your submission. Up to 3 photos taken along the Gold Belt Byway may be submitted per person.

Photo Entry Form

Submit the completed entry form at the bottom of this page.

Dates and Deadlines

• Photo submissions: April 15th, 2022 - August 30th, 2022
• Winner(s) notified: September 12th, 2022
• Winner(s) announced: September 22nd 2022 in celebration of the Gold Belt Byway’s 34th anniversary

FAQs

How do I enter the contest?

For a valid entry, please fill out the Photo Contest Form.

Is there a fee to enter the competition?

No! Entry is free.

Do I have to live in Colorado?

No, the contest is open to all U.S. residents and all travelers along the Gold Belt Byway.

What pictures should I submit?

The Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway offers an endless array of photo opportunities! The themes this year are centered around treasures you find that show what cultural heritage, beautification, conservation, and recreation looks like to you. Photos might be as simple as a display of buying local or as grand as a viewshed of open space and mountains. It’s up to you! Make sure to only submit your top three photos. All other photos submitted will not be considered during judging.

How will the winners be decided?

Judge(s) will select winners based on overall composition, technical skill and relevance to the themes described below

How late can I submit my photos?

You can submit your photos up until August 31, 2022 at 5:00 pm MST.

What format can my photos be submitted in?

We encourage all photos to be submitted in JPEG form, however all photos will be accepted.

Themes

In addition to a grand-prize winner, one winner will be selected from each of the categories below.

Cultural Heritage

From the dinosaurs to the gold mines and the world-famous rock climbing, the Gold Belt Byway offers a trip back through time

This theme involves capturing the essence of what cultural heritage is along the Gold Belt community. What does being a part of Gold Belt Byway mean to you? Food, customs, history, and traditions all encompass culture. Example pictures within this theme could include local business favorites, mining sites, museum exhibitions, old town buildings, rock-climbers, or a mixture of them all! (Hint: Sustainability within cultural heritage is a plus)

Beautification

Celebrating regenerative tourism by encouraging visitors to leave their destination better than they found it during the busy summer months

When you picture beautification, what do you think of? You might think of pristine natural trails, trash cleanups, or maybe endless fields of land. The Gold Belt Byway is one of the most diverse and beautiful places in Colorado and beautification efforts will help to keep it this way. Example photos could include hiking and walking trails, a landscape picture, or a way one keeps the land pristine. On the contrary, photos showing the regeneration of over-loved site/attractions will also be considered (Hint: Public lands have more trash left behind on them than ever before)

Conservation

Elements of environmental, cultural and economic conservation tend to work in conjunction with one another

Conservation along the Gold Belt Byway tells a story of how tourists can act responsibly to help conserve the land and communities that residents call home. For this theme we are asking you to take pictures of what conservation looks like to you. This could mean taking photos of camping sites, viewsheds across private lands, wild animals, or even your favorite locally sourced meal. [Hint: Let’s blur the line between us (locals) and them (tourists)]

Recreation

Recreation is one the primary lifelines of tourism along the Gold Belt Byway, and Colorado outdoor recreation takes on new meaning

Recreation aids in the promotion of year-round visitation along the byway. Hiking, biking, camping, rafting, fishing, climbing, and more remain at travelers’ disposal during all seasons along the Gold Belt Byway. [Hint: Extreme sports and opposite season recreation - think skiing in summer and hiking in winter - tell a great story about seasonality]

Prizes

Judges, at their sole subjective discretion, will make winning photo selections based on the quality, composition, content, originality, creativity, and mass appeal. Decisions are final.

• Grand Prize:
  • Mounted Canvas 24" x 36" ($300 retail value) from DARE Print & Sign Co.
  • Raft Trip for 2 down the Arkansas River during the 2023 season
  • Admission for two to the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park
  • Admission for two to the Florissant Fossil Quarry
  • $10 gift certificate to You Scream Ice Cream Emporium
  • $25 gift card to the Gold Camp Café
  • $50 gas money
  • Admission for 2 to the Lowell Thomas Museum
  • Admission for 2 to the Cripple Creek District Museum
  • Admission for 2 to the Old Homestead House Museum

• People’s Choice:
  • Mounted Canvas 18" x 24" ($130 retail value) from DARE Print & Sign Co.
  • $25 gift card to the Gold Camp Café
  • $10 gift certificate to You Scream Ice Cream Emporium
  • Fossil Kit from Florissant Fossil Quarry
  • $20 food voucher for a restaurant along the Gold Belt Byway to be named later

• (4) Category Winner Prizes:
  • Mounted Canvas - 12" X 12" ($70 retail value, each) from DARE Print & Sign Co.
  • 25 gift card to the Gold Camp Café
  • $10 gift certificate to You Scream Ice Cream Emporium
  • $25 gas money
  • $20 food voucher for a restaurant along the Gold Belt Byway to be named later

Winning photos will be featured on the Gold Belt Byway website, social media channels, and brochures. In addition, the winning photo will be professionally mounted and featured in various businesses and sites along the Gold Belt Byway.

Legality

Copyright: By signing the official entry form and/or submitting an image electronically, you are stating that you are the owner and copyright holder of the photograph submitted. You also represent and warrant that the photograph is your original work. If your photograph contains identifiable people or private property, you are stating that you have permission from all of the models and/or owners of said private property. Although photographers retain the copyright to their photographs, by entering them into this contest, they permit unrestricted usage by The Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway exclusively to promote the area, without receiving any fee or compensation. This applies to winning and non-winning entries.

Special Thanks To:

• DARE Print & Sign Co., in downtown Cañon City, Colorado, is proud to sponsor the Goldbelt Byway Photo Competition by donating the mounted canvases that will be on display at local arts centers and then go to the contest winners after their victory tour. If you would like to get your photos printed on mounted canvas or need assistance marketing your small business, contact the experts at DARE Print & Sign Co. to get help with making it perfect.
  
• The Royal Gorge Bridge and Park
• The Florissant Fossil Quarry
• You Scream Ice Cream Emporium
• Gold Camp Café
• Lowell Thomas Museum
• Cripple Creek District Museum
• Old Homestead House Museum
• Echo Canyon River Expeditions