LEAVING HER MARK. University of Wisconsin-Stout freshman Jaelyn Logterman is the winner of the 2026 Wisconsin DNR vehicle admission pass design contest. Her design, pictured above, will be used for the hundreds of thousands of individuals who purchase passes to Wisconsin state parks next year. (Sticker design submitted; background photo, of the Red Cedar Trail, by Andrea Paulseth)

With a design inspired by her adventures with her black lab, Max, University of Wisconsin-Stout studio art major Jaelyn Logterman won the 2026 Wisconsin State Park and Forest vehicle admission pass design contest, recently announced by the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

“It is a privilege to know that my artwork will be displayed on a great deal of vehicles across Wisconsin,” Logterman said. More than half a million vehicles, to be precise. In 2023, a record-setting year, 518,846 Wisconsin state park stickers were sold. Wisconsin state parks, forests, trails and recreation areas receive more than 20 million visits a year.

Jaelyn Logterman with her dog, Max, during a previous summertime dip on the lake. (Submitted photo)

Logterman, a first-year student at UW-Stout, grew up near scenic Lake Geneva, in southern Wisconsin. The natural beauty of Menomonie – and its art and design school – drew her to the area university. 

“Max has come along on every family trip. As a family, we enjoy visiting surrounding rivers, lakes and parks,” she said. “Chasing Max around throughout his adventures has helped keep my feet wet throughout my childhood.”

With more than 15,000 lakes, 43,000 miles of rivers and scenic Great Lakes shorelines, Wisconsin offers plenty of opportunities for watery adventures. (In 2025, the Wisconsin State Park System, with more than 60 state parks, forests and recreation areas, celebrated its 125th anniversary.)

The DNR-sponsored design contest is open to Wisconsin high school-age students. Logterman entered the 2026 contest last spring through a graphic design class as a senior at Delavan-Darien High School. The annual contest, now in its 35th year, received more than 150 submissions for the 2026 vehicle pass design; the 2026 admission pass – artwork by Logterman – will be available for purchase beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

Read the full writeup, which was edited for publication in Volume One, from UW-Stout online. The Wisconsin DNR design contest for 2027's sticker and vehicle admission pass design is now accepting submissions online.