Scenic Michigan

08/31/2026

The City of Petoskey is doing their part to help control light pollution in Michigan! This summer it became the first city in the United States to adopt an outdoor lighting ordinance formally recognized under DarkSky International’s Recognized Codes program.

Scenic Michigan would like to formally congratulate the City of Petoskey for their efforts in helping to reduce light pollution with their new ordinance. If your community is looking to follow suit Scenic Michigan provides guidance by hosting a catalogue of lighting ordinances from some of the largest communities in Michigan on our online clearinghouse located at www.scenicmichigan.org.

https://bridgemi.com/outdoors-life/petoskey-cracks-down-on-light-pollution-in-bid-to-become-dark-sky-city/

Petoskey’s new lighting ordinance requires new buildings and any renovations to meet standards aligned with dark sky zones.

08/26/2026

Did you know that protecting dark skies from light pollution is a key part of Scenic Michigan's Mission Statement?

Michigan is uniquely situated, due to our latitude and the Great Lakes, to see auroras. However, it takes important lighting ordinances and regulations from our communities to be able to fully see them!

Take a look at www.scenicmichigan.org to learn more!

07/14/2026

In 2025 the Scenic Water category dominated our Photo Contest, with over 100 submissions this category was hands down the most popular! Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline in the United States, along with beautiful dunes, breathtaking cliffs, and over 120 lighthouses! Our water is one of the most important aspects of “scenic” Michigan since it attracts significant tourism, is a vital environmental support system, and it enhances our dark skies by acting as a natural light buffer.

This year’s winner is from Amanda Bergeron who took a stunning photo during the sunrise in Oscoda. Natural light always helps our water photos stand out, and Amanda was there at the perfect time! Congratulations!

The Promise of a New Day, by Amanda Bergeron (Oscoda)

Runner Up(s):
Blue Ice Cutter, by Patrick Russell (Mackinaw City)
Winter at Stearns Park, by Mary Dereske (Ludington)
Hebard Park near Copper Harbor, by Robert Freeman (Copper Harbor)
Figure in Peace, by Amy VerHaeghe (Les Cheneaux Islands – Cedarville)
Kayakers at Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore, by Daniela Goen (Sleeping Bear Dunes)
Across Eagle Harbor, by Sophie Smit (Eagle Harbor)
Sunset on Cloudy Lake, by Jodi Byers (South Haven)
Middle Island Lighthouse, by Randy Hemstad (Rockport)

07/04/2026

07/01/2026

The Scenic Night Sky category is hands down one of our top two most popular categories to judge each year. These photos are striking, difficult to track down and capture, and are directly tied to one of our core values at Scenic Michigan. When it comes to the night sky, Michigan is unique due to its latitude and is on par with the likes of Norway, Finland, and Alaska in terms of viewing the northern lights.

This year’s winner is from Michele Aucello, who submitted the 2025 contests overall winning photo as well! This photo is especially beautiful due to how robust the aurora is when viewed against the icy shore. Congratulations Michele!

Winner:
Fire and Ice, by Michele Aucello (Glen Haven)

Runner-ups:
Aurora Over the Schoolhouse, by Patrick Russell (Onsted)
Aurora Over Point Betsie, by Michele Aucello (Frankfort)
Tree & Partial Moon in SW Michigan, by Laurie Jacobson (Dayton)
Starry Night at Weko Beach, by Jason Ciesiolka (Weko Beach in Bridgman)

06/27/2026

The Scenic Landscapes Photo Contest category is often times one of the most exciting ones to publish because it really shows off Michigan's diverse geography. I like to think that this broad category covers our Mission Statement in it's entirety with how many unique visuals are in each submission!

This years winner comes from just about as far west as you can go in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and combines a beautiful view with the perfect timing of a lightning strike. Congratulations to Robert Freeman on this amazing photo!

Winner:

Lightning Strike Seen From Mt. Zion, by Robert Freeman (Ironwood)

Runner-Ups:

DH Day Barn, by Michele Aucello (Glen Arbor)
Rural Cass County Sunset, by Jason Ciesiolka (Cass County)
Autumn Colors, by Laurie Jacobson (Gobles)
Dawn Frolic, by Sophie Smit (Huron-Manistee)
Beaming Country Sunrise, by Clare Loveless (Baraga County – Pelkie)
Fall Barn at Sleeping Bear Dunes, by Daniela Goen (Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore)
The Snowy Sunrise, by Amanda Bergeron (Oscoda)

06/17/2026

Scenic Cityscapes is one of the most underrated categories in our Photo Contest each year since most people do not associate cityscapes when discussing Michigan’s scenic qualities. However, our State is rich in architecture, history, and vibrant communities that are destinations for residents and tourists alike. The 2025 winning photo and runners-up covered communities statewide from southwest to southeast Michigan all the way up to the Upper Peninsula!

This year’s winner is a striking photo of the Detroit skyline at dawn by Patrick Russell. What you’ll notice about a lot of these photos is how the built environment works with water, sunrise, and the sky to create a truly beautiful and unique photo.

Congratulations Patrick!

Winner:
Winter Dawn Over Detroit, by Patrick Russell (Detroit)

Runners-up:
Sunset Over Water, by Jodi Byers (Sault Ste. Marie)
Michigan State Capitol Complex, by Joe Zopf (Lansing)
Detroit Revival, by Kathleen Stuby (Detroit)
Niles Amtrak Station, by Jason Ciesiolka (Niles)

06/10/2026

Scenic Byways, Roads, and Trails is one of the most important categories of our photo contest since Scenic Byways advocacy is central to our mission statement!

This year choosing the winner of this category was especially difficult since we had so many photos sent in from various seasons, locations, and types of pathways! However, we are proud to announce that the winning photo for the 2025 Scenic Byways, Roads, and Trails category is:

Golden Hour Train Reflections, by Joe Zopf (Grand Ledge)

This amazing photo has a little bit of everything. From the golden sunset to the calm river and dense foliage covering the train tracks; this photo really showcases how the built environment can interact with Michigan’s natural features!

We also want to share all of our runner-up photos for this category below. Thank you everyone for your amazing entries!

Runners-up:

The Road to Presque Isle Lighthouse, by Sophie Smit (Presque Isle)

Autumn Passage, by Patrick Russell (Fallasburg)

Winter in Largo, By Amanda Bergeron (Oscoda, Largo Springs)

Porcupine Mountain Trail, by Laurie Jacobson (Ontonagon County)

A 5 Mile View, by Angela Streblow (St. Ignace)

Covered Road, by Brenda Anttila (Houghton County, Atlantic Mine)

06/03/2026

After months of collecting photos and judging we are excited to announce our overall winner for our 2025 Scenic Michigan Photo Contest!

This years winner is Marquette Aurora by Michele Aucello, taken off the coast line in beautiful Marquette.

This striking photograph captures the natural beauty that Scenic Michigan works to promote and protect. Featuring the tranquil waters of Lake Superior’s iconic shoreline, framed by lush green landscapes, all illuminated by the breathtaking glow of the northern lights, the image showcases the extraordinary diversity of scenery found across our state all in one frame.

This view is especially rare for those outside of Michigan because we are so fortunate to have such amazing views of auroras.

Over the next six weeks we will be sharing the winners of the individual categories from our 2025 Photo Contest, so stay tuned for many more photos to enjoy and congratulations to Michele!