Nick Chill Photography

08/16/2026

An image of the unique bridge design on the High Trestle Trail - Central Iowa Trails in Madrid Iowa, all lit up at night.

06/17/2026

Roadless areas provide invaluable outdoor access opportunities and are one of the last remaining truly wild spaces in the nation. We must protect these areas!

The bipartisan Roadless Rule is under fire. It’s just one way Trump could make our public lands unrecognizable

06/07/2026

We had a beautiful morning yesterday for the Crater Trail Run! What's not to love about spending time in the woods of Decorah, Iowa while capturing these incredible 5k, 10k, 25k, and 50k 😱 runners?

These inspirational humans are proving to themselves that they can do extraordinary things! There is even a 1 mile children's run to get them inspired young.

Check out the rest of the race photos on the Trail Run page above.

05/28/2026

I had a beautiful trip to Leadville, Colorado this past week. While there I was able to capture this aerial panoramic of Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir. You can see Bartlett Mountain to the right and Quandary Peak to the left.

This image was taken with the DJI Mavic Air 2 drone, consisting of 3 overlapping photos.

05/09/2026

This is what Yosemite looks like now that the park scrapped its timed-entry reservation system for 2026.

On May 2nd, drivers sat in traffic for 90 minutes just to get through Yosemite's south entrance on Highway 41.

Parking lots filled within hours of opening. Vehicles were squeezed along roadsides wherever they could fit. The free Hetch Hetchy lot — normally overflow — was also full by mid-morning.

This is what Yosemite looks like now that the park scrapped its timed-entry reservation system for 2026.

John Buckley, Executive Director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center, put it plainly: "Especially on Saturdays, the amount of crowding in the park exceeds the capacity of the parking lots, resulting in vehicles parked inappropriately wherever they can squeeze in."

Tour operator Elisabeth Barton, who lives and works near the park, told reporters: "The idea of it being run ragged just breaks my heart."

Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden pushed back, telling the San Francisco Chronicle that "having the park being full is not a bad thing, it's not a crisis."

Senator Alex Padilla disagreed, calling the decision "shortsighted" and warning it will "degrade the park's natural resources" at a time when the NPS has already lost 4,000 staff.

March visitation was up nearly 45% over last year. Summer hasn't even started.

Are you planning a Yosemite trip this season? What's your strategy for dealing with the crowds?