23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Follow the Light

Lodgepole pines have shallow root systems to withstand high winds, which means they can grow nearly everywhere. This particular tree has been growing for decades on a boulder in the middle of the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: West Yellowstone, Montana, United States of America
Copyright: © Rylee Jensen