Carolyne Richardson Sutton

A Colorado-based nature photographer, Carolyne Richardson Sutton and her family lived in Michigan for 33 years before relocating to Colorado in 2012. Since she was introduced to the wonders of the great outdoors as cub master of her son’s Cub Scout pack in the 1990s, camping and hiking became an integral part of her family’s vacations. She added backpacking to her repertoire after joining Fresco Adventures on a backpack to the floor of the Grand Canyon in 2004.

Carolyne is an exemplary role model for women – and particularly women of color – in how to become competent and confident in the Great Outdoors. She has enjoyed outings with groups such as Step Outdoors, Balanced Rock and the Beckwourth Doers. She also enjoys cycling, horseback riding, kayaking, whitewater rafting, snorkeling and snowshoeing. Before relocating to Colorado, she frequently flew from Michigan to attend outings with Beckwourth Outdoors, a Denver-based nonprofit organization that provided year-round outdoor activities for people of color and educated the public about the contributions made by people of color in the West.

Carolyne has visited a multitude of national parks, monuments, preserves, historic sites, battlefields, and cemeteries. So great is her love for the national parks, she spent part of her honeymoon in Katmai National Park in Alaska in the company of brown bears. Carolyne demonstrably illustrates the awareness and accessibility of our National Park System.