Commercial Use Authorizations

If you'd like to operate a business in the parks, it's likely that you'll need a commercial use authorization.

A Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) is a business permit with the National Park Service that authorizes a private person, corporation, or other private entity to conduct commercial activities and provide specific visitor services within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Non-profit and educational institutions may also require a permit under this category, depending on the type of service offered. These authorizations establish guidelines for protection of park landscapes and resources, especially in areas designated as wilderness.

 

Connect With A Service Provider

Authorized Commercial Guides View Now

 

Apply for a CUA

• Online CUA portal: Commercial Use Authorizations
• How to apply for a CUA through the online portal - Watch these videos: CUA Help
• Payment is submitted through the online portal.

CUA Application Timelines

Front-country

The application window for Front-country CUAs is open through April of 2026.

Authorizations will expire December 31, 2026 for all Front-country Activity types. The application window for 2027 will open October 1, 2026 and remain open through April 2027.

Wilderness

The application window has closed for all types of Wilderness CUAs for the 2026 – 2027 operating seasons.

At a to be determined date in 2027, the parks will solicit a limited number of CUAs valid for a two-year period, from January 1, 2028 – December 31, 2029.

 

Types of CUAs

 

Front-Country CUAs

A CUA is required for commercial activities within all areas of the parks. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have authorized the following visitor services for Front-Country CUAs.

• Guided Interpretive Tours

• Hiking/Walking (currently includes Nordic Activities – snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, etc.)

• Fishing Instruction

• Fitness

• Photography Instruction

• Road-Based Tours (new in 2026)

Wilderness CUAs

A Wilderness CUA is required for commercial activities within Congressionally designated wilderness in the parks. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have authorized the following visitor services from Wilderness CUAs. They fall into two broader categories of “Hiking – Backcountry" and “Horse/Mule/Other Livestock Rides or Services.” Hiking - Backcountry includes the following:

• Guided Backpacking

• Guided Day Hiking

• Guided Mountaineering

• Guided Backcountry Ski Mountaineering

• Guided Fishing Instruction

• Guided Photography Instruction/Workshop

• Guided Nordic Day Use (Nordic Skiing, Telemark Skiing, Snowshoeing, and Snowboarding)

• Guided Portering (Dunnage/Gear Transport)

See the "CUA Holder Reference Materials" for how to view the wilderness boundary and the boundary of the Mount Whitney Management Area.

Road Based Commercial Tours

NEW for the 2026 CUA season, RBCT will be defined as: One or more persons traveling within a single 16+ passenger capacity vehicle on an improved roadway on an itinerary sold for leisure/recreational/educational purposes.

RBCT CUA holders provide no other services except those that are incidental to road-based travel in an area unit of the National Park System (on-board interpretation and incidental stops at visitor centers, restaurants, wayside exhibits, etc.).

If a road-based tour involves extensive out-of-vehicle guided activities such as guided day hikes, a Hiking - Front-Country CUA may be required for those activities.

The Park requires operators who use <16 passenger capacity vehicles on itineraries sold for leisure/recreational/educational purposes to secure a Guided Interpretive Tour CUA.

A Road-Based Tour Commercial Use Authorization is required in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in 2026. The application window for Road-Based Tour CUAs will close April 30, 2026. Please see our Fees and Passes page for information on commercial tour group vehicle and passenger capacity fees. Note that commercial vehicle entrance fees can only be paid at an entrance station, not in advance, via credit card or cash. Road-based commercial tour operators can visit the NPS CUA webpage for additional information.

If you have questions about Road-Based Commercial Tours in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, contact the Commercial Services Office via email.

For more information about fees, please visit the fees page.

 

CUA Policy

• Commercial Use Authorization Suspension, Restriction, Revocation, and Application Denial Policy intended to provide guidance regarding the actions taken in the event of a permittee violation (as defined in this policy). The Superintendent, at his or her discretion, may take actions other than those identified and retains the authority to immediately suspend, restrict or revoke a CUA or deny a future CUA application for reasons not covered in this policy memorandum.

• Check the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park conditions and alerts before heading to the parks.

 

Resources for Wilderness CUA Holders

Resources

Wilderness Stock Use Information Hub - Grazing maps, meadow open and close dates, stock users guide, and other information about wilderness travel with stock in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Interactive Wilderness Boundary Map: the boundary of the Congressionally-designated Sequoia - Kings Canyon Wilderness determines the areas where Wilderness and Front Country CUAs can operate. To generate an interactive map of the wilderness (instructions are for use on a desktop computer):

• Go to the online Park Atlas. Click anywhere outside the black box in the center of the page.

• Click on "Layer Visibility" in the upper left corner.

• Click on the small triangle next to "Protect Your Parks" to open a drop-down menu.

• Scroll through the sub-menu and click on the eyeball icon next to "Wilderness Area." This makes the wilderness area layer visible.

• Move your cursor over the map and zoom in to view the details of the wilderness boundary in specific areas.

Interactive Map of the Mount Whitney Management Area (MWMA): Wilderness CUA holders can only operate in the MWMA if they hold an allocation of MWMA Commercial Service Days (CSDs). Spending any portion of a day in the MWMA during the quota period should be reported as a MWMA CSD. To generate an interactive map of the Mt. Whitney Management Area (instructions are for use on a desktop computer):

• Go to the online Park Atlas. Click anywhere outside the black box in the center of the page.

• Click on "Layer Visibility" in the upper left corner.

• Click on the small triangle next to "Protect Your Parks" to open a drop-down menu.

• Scroll through the sub-menu and click on the eyeball icon next to "Mount Whitney Management Area." This makes the MWMA layer visible.

• Move your cursor over the map and zoom in to view the details of the MWMA boundary in specific areas.