Commercial Use Authorizations

Update on Portrait Photography

Rocky Mountain National Park is no longer issuing CUA annuals or single sessions for portrait photography in the park. 

As a commercial/professional photographer, if taking portrait photos for clients, you will enter as a normal visitor. Both the company and the clients will pay the entrance fees. During the summer months (May-October), all vehicles will be required to get a Timed Entry Permit to enter the park during specific times.

Still photographers, including commercial or professional photography, require a permit only when:

• The activity uses models, sets, or props that are not a part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.
• The activity takes place at location(s) when and/or where members of the public are generally not allowed. 
• The park would incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity.

A Special Use Permit is required if your group is performing any ceremonies such as weddings or elopements. 

 

2025 Application Window

The 2025 CUA application period for Rocky Mountain National Park is November 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025.

More information about the application process is described in the section "Application Process" below.

 

CUA Forms

• Sample Acknowledgement of Risk Form
• Guide - Employee List Form

What is a CUA?

Commercial Use Authorizations (CUAs) authorize companies or individuals to conduct business in Rocky Mountain National Park on an annual basis. A CUA provides a group a non-exclusive license to offer services to park visitors.

Your organization is considered a business if it provides goods, services, activities, or experiences to the public using National Park Service (NPS) lands. If you receive any form of compensation for the things you provide, you are conducting a business or commercial activity. The National Park Service definition of a business or commercial organization does not distinguish between commercial and non-profit organizations.

CUA activities must be appropriate to the mission of the park; compliment resource protection, visitor protection, and interpretation goals; and not pose any potential for derogation of values or purposes for which the park was established. They must be consistent with the park's future plans as well as present operations. They should be compatible with the planning documents for the park. The park will not normally limit the number of organizations that offer similar services or activities.

CUA holders have their base of operation outside the park. All the commercial aspects of the activity must occur outside of NPS lands. This includes marketing, advertising, use of permanent or temporary structures, and negotiation with customers. Compensation or payment for services (even tipping) may not occur on NPS lands.

 

Approved CUA Activities

• Bike Tours: Guiding clients on bicycle rides in the park.
• Boat Tours: Guided kayak and packrafting on Lily Lake or Sprague Lake.
• Camping - Backcountry: Guiding clients to established backcountry camp sites. Can include off-trail day hikes with additional requirements.
• Climbing Certification: Certifying clients on rock or ice objectives.
• Fishing - Fly: Guiding or Instructing clients on how to fly fish.
• Guided Mountaineering: Guiding clients on rock or ice where the use of technical equipment is necessary (for example - ropes, ice axes, rock protection, crampons, ect). Limited to 3 trips not to exceed 9 days.
• Hiking - Backcountry: Guiding clients on established trails in the park. Can include off-trail day hikes with additional requirements.
• Llama Packing Services Only
• Outdoor Skills Education: Instructing Basic Avalanche Courses to clients.
• Photography Instruction (For both photography or art workshops): Instructing individuals in painting or photography of wildlife or landscapes.
• Retail Sales: Sales in convenience items to visitors (Cooperating Agency agreement in place with NPS).
• Services - RV: Camper Drop-Off Services - Delivery of rented campers to NPS campgrounds.
• Skiing/Snowshoeing Tours: Single day guided snowshoe tours and/or guided cross-country ski tours.
• Wedding/Event Planner: Wedding Planner - **in addition to the $350 permit fee, there is a $75 per event booking fee.
• Wildlife Viewing: Vehicle Tours - Interpreted & Interactive vehicle is a single vehicle tour with limited guided activity (for example, short guided interpretive walks to overlooks or frontcountry lakes or photo tours to view wildlife, talk about history, ect). Generally, the maximum vehicle carrying capacity is 15 passengers. Park passes are allowed.

Concessions Contracts

Some activities are authorized under Concessions Contracts, which are exclusive multi-year authorizations to provide goods and services. Horseback rides, wood sales, merchandise operations, and climbing trips/classes are operated under Concessions Contracts.

To obtain more information about these services, send an email or call the Concessions Office at 970-586-1209. Do not use the CUA application to apply for these services.

 

Application Process

For the 2025 operating season, the Commercial Use Authorization application period is open from November 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025. No applications will be accepted after March 31, 2025.

The application is available through the CUA Portal at the following link: https://cua.nps.gov/

Companies applying for a CUA will be required to set up an account and upload all the required paperwork and insurance and pay through the system during that application period. If a company has not uploaded the required paperwork with the application, your application may not be approved for the season.

In the CUA Forms select at the top right of this page is an example of the Acknowledgement of Risk Form that clients are allowed to sign, Guide List Form, and Permit Conditions for all authorized activities.

Beginning January 1, 2025 Rocky Mountain National Park will begin charging market price fees. The market price fees will be based on a percentage of revenue earned from in-park or park-based operations. Market price fees will be based on the following:

• Less than $250,000 earned from park-based operations: 3% of gross receipts (minus application fee)
• $250,000-$500,000 earned from park-based operations: 4% of gross receipts (minus application fee)
• More than $500,000 earned from park-based operations: 5% of gross receipts (minus application fee)

Insurance Requirements

Proof of adequate general liability insurance and automobile insurance must be submitted. Rocky Mountain National Park needs to be listed on the General Liability Insurance as an additional insurer on the face of the policy.

To make sure the park receives a copy, it needs to read as follows:

United States Government
Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Hwy 36
Estes Park, CO 80517

We require the following coverage:

Approved Activity	Commercial Business Liability Insurance Min. (see insurance sheet below)	Certifications	Leave No Trace Training	Special Requirements
Wildlife Viewing (Vehicle Tours)	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course	Both Commercial Business Liability and Commercial Vehicle Liability Insurance Apply
Wedding Services	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Recommended: First Aid & CPR. Required if 0.5 miles or more from roadside/trailhead	Online Awareness Course	$75 per event booking fee
Photography Instruction (Art or Photo)	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Recommended First Aid & CPR. Required if 0.5 miles or more from roadside/trailhead.	Online Awareness Course
Bike Tours	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course	Both Commercial Business Liability and Commercial Vehicle Liability Insurance Apply
Boat Tours - Guided Kayak and Packrafting	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course
Camping - Backpacking	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course	Off-Trail Travel: Min of 1 guide per trip recommended WFR or higher. All others min of First Aid & CPR.
Fishing - Fly	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course	Off-Trail Travel: Min of 1 guide per trip recommended WFR or higher. All others min of First Aid & CPR.
Hiking - Backcountry	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course	Off-Trail Travel: Min of 1 guide per trip recommended WFR or higher. All others min of First Aid & CPR.
Llama Packing ONLY	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course
Retail Sales - Sales	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Not Required	Online Awareness Course	Cooperating Agency agreement in place with NPS
Services - RV Camper Drop-Off Services	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Not Required	Online Awareness Course	Both Commercial Business Liability and Commercial Vehicle Liability Insurance Apply
Skiing/Snowshoe Tours	$500,000 per occurrence / $1M aggregate	Required: First Aid & CPR	Online Awareness Course	Ski Mountaineering, backpacking with overnights, ice skating, & Avalanche Courses are not authorized under this permit
Outdoor Skills Education: Basic Avalanche Level Courses	$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate	1 guide per trip required WFR or higher. All others First Aid & CPR.	Online Awareness Course	Avalanche 1 and Avalanche Rescue is only authorized. Higher level courses are not authorized.
Climbing Guide Certification Program	$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate	1 guide per trip required WFR or higher. All others First Aid & CPR.	Online Awareness Course	For certification courses only
Guided Mountaineering (Limited Trip Climbing)	$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate	1 guide per trip required WFR or higher. All others First Aid & CPR.	Online Awareness Course	Up to 3 trips not to exceed 9 calendar days total (can be non-consecutive).

 

Commcerical Automobile Liability Insurance Required

Insurance is required if a CUA holder transports passengers or uses a vehicle (owned, leased, or rented) in the performance of their service in the park. If a CUA holder charters the vehicle and those chartered vehicles are owned and operated by another company, the CUA holder is not required to have Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance.

The minimum Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance for interstate passenger transport is:

Vehicle Insurance (bodily injury and property damage)	Minimum per Occurrence Liability Limits*
Up to 15 passengers	$1,500,000
16+ passengers	$5,000,000

The NPS has not established standard commercial automobile liability minimums for intrastate auto use by CUA holders because each state has unique rules and regulations. Intrastate CUA holders must meet individual state requirements for Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance or the interstate requirements above, whichever are greatest.

If the CUA applicant or holder will use rented or leased vehicles in the performance of the authorized service, the applicant or holder must secure appropriate insurance for that rented or leased vehicle in the amount required by the CUA application. Proof of insurance secured directly from the rental or lease company may not be available upon application submission, but applicants are required to provide proof of insurance coverage after application submission upon NPS request.

Rocky Mountain National Park has moved to an online application process with a defined application window. Watch a how-to video to prepare here.