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Commercial Use Authorizations

What is a Commercial Use Authorization?

A Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) is a business permit with the National Park Service. It authorizes you to conduct commercial activities and to provide specific visitor services within a national park. We will only issue CUAs for activities that:

• are an appropriate use of Canyonlands National Park;
• will have minimal impact on park's resources and values; and
• are consistent with the park’s purpose, management plans, policies, and regulations.

You must have a CUA if you or your organization provide services that:

• take place at least in part in Canyonlands National Park,
• use park resources, and
• result in monetary gain.

You may not conduct commercial activities in the park without a valid CUA or in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the CUA. You must carry a complete copy of your Commercial Use Authorization with you at all times while operating in the park. Show the CUA at the entrance station fee booth or visitor center.

Authorized Services

Canyonlands and Arches national parks authorize the following commercial services with an approved Commercial Use Authorization (CUA). Except where noted, the CUAs are issued for both Arches and Canyonlands national parks. You must have a separate CUA for each individual service.

CUA Road-based Tours

• Tours and Transportation
  Conditions (Revised 06/19/2017) [429k PDF]

CUA Non-road Tours

• Guided Interpretive Day Hikes
  Conditions [265k PDF]
• Guided Interpretive Backpacking (Canyonlands National Park only)
  Conditions [286k PDF]
• Still Photography Instruction
  Conditions [252k PDF]

How much does a CUA cost?

The annual processing fee is $300 per CUA. For example, if you apply for a Tours & Transportation CUA and a Still Photography Instruction CUA, you will submit $600 with your application. The fee is non-refundable, so please read the conditions (use links above) for the commercial service(s) you intend to offer before submitting your application package.

This fee covers the processing and administering of your CUA. It includes costs for overseeing the operational, safety, and environmental requirements stipulated in the permit. Up to two hours of incidental monitoring by field rangers is included in this fee. If problems should arise during your time in the park, which requires additional monitoring by ranger staff, you will be billed for those costs.

The CUA fees are determined by a cost analysis in compliance with the 2005 Interim Guidelines for CUAs. This guidance authorizes the National Park Service to recover, at a minimum, associated management and administrative costs associated with CUAs.

Do CUA holders have to pay an entrance fee?

Yes. Fees depend on the type of service you offer.

Tours & Transportation CUA holders:
Pay the commercial tour entrance fee each time you enter the park. Annual and lifetime passes do not apply.

Entrance fees (per vehicle):

• Vehicle capacity of 1 to 6 passengers: $25 + $10 per person, not to exceed $40
• Vehicle capacity of 7 to 25: $40
• Vehicle capacity of 26+: $100

Guided Interpretive Day Hike CUA holders
and Still Photography Instruction CUA holders:
Pay the park’s per-person entrance fee for your clients; participants may use valid entrance fee receipts or annual and lifetime passes.

Entrance fees

• $10 per person

How do I apply for a CUA?

Applications must be received by March 15, 2017.

Step 1

• Download and complete the CUA application [512k PDF]

Step 2

• Pay a non-refundable fee of $300 for each type of commercial service you are providing.

• Applicants should submit payments via pay.gov only. Do not send checks; they will be returned. To make a payment:
  • Search for "Canyonlands National Park."
  • Do not enter a permit number.
  • Enter a total dollar amount of $300 for each commercial service you are applying for.
  • Save your payment confirmation; you will submit this with your application.
  • For more information view payment instructions [904k PDF]

Step 3

Submit the following to the commercial services email address listed in the application document:

1. Your completed CUA application
2. Payment confirmation. Include the pay.gov confirmation of payment for each type of commercial service listed above.
3. A current General Liability Certificate of Insurance documenting adequate General Liability coverage for the type of activity you will be conducting. The minimum coverage for commercial use is $1,000,000. The insurance certificate must name the United States Government as an additional insured as well as specify that the service authorized by the permit is covered by the insurance policy.
4. Current Automobile liability insurance that complies with the minimum coverage required by Utah State law. The insurance certificate must name the United States Government as additional insured. See CUA conditions listed above for minimums.
5. Copies of CPR/First cards for guides of non-road-based CUA activities.
   At least one guide in each day-use, non-road based CUA group must have a American Red Cross Standard First Aid Card or its equivalent and a current CPR card in his/her possession while in the park. Copies of those cards must be sent in with your application. Road-based tours do not need to have a guide with first aid or CPR card.

Incomplete packages cannot be processed.

How long does it take to get a CUA?

Please allow 15 working days to process a CUA application. We review applications in the order they are received.

What are the reporting requirements?

CUA holders must submit an annual report each year. This report is due at the end of season. This report provides the park with visitation statistics, reportable injury data, and a record of annual gross receipts.

Download Form 10-660 - CUA Annual Report [641k Word Document]

Changes for the 2018 Season

To standardize the CUA permitting and fee process in the 2018 operating season (beginning January 1, 2018), all CUAs will be park specific. For example, if you want to conduct still photography instruction in 2018 at Canyonlands and Arches national parks, you must submit an application for each park.

You will be able to send in one application for multiple activities in any one of the four parks in the Southeast Utah Group (Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep, and Natural Bridges). For example, if you want to conduct both tours and transportation and still photography instruction at Canyonlands National Park, you only need to submit one CUA application for that park.

To standardize the CUA permitting and fee process in the 2018 operating season, all CUAs for Commercial Tours and Transportation will have a fee increase. Based on servicewide analysis of required cost recovery, the appropriate annual application fee is $700 per Commercial Tours and Transportation CUA. This is a servicewide change.

Still Photography Instruction, Guided Interpretive Day Hiking, and Backpacking CUAs will remain $300 for the 2018 operating season.