Park Regulations & Safety

Commercial Use Authorizations

Commercial Use Authorization Guidelines

I. Policy

Commercial Use Authorizations are limited authorizations to provide specific visitor services within the boundaries of national parks.

Commercial Use Authorizations are documents used by superintendents of a national park areas to insure that business activities in parks are conducted in a manner that complies with regulations, protects resources, enhances visitors' experiences, and helps ensure safety. Commercial Use Authorizations are issued on an annual basis at Capitol Reef National Park.

II. Authority

Commercial Use Authorizations fall under the authority of 16 U.S.C. 5966 (P.L. 105-391, Section 418) which authorizes (but does not require) the NPS, upon request, to issue Commercial Use Authorizations (CUAs) to persons (referring to individuals, corporations, and other entities) to provide commercial services to park area visitors in limited circumstances.

In addition 36 CFR Section 5.3 states:

Engaging in or soliciting any business in park areas, except in accordance with the provisions of a permit, contract, or other written agreement with the United States, except as specifically authorized under special regulations applicable to a park area, is prohibited.

Commercial Use Authorizations are not concessions issued under the Concessions Policy Act of 1965 (79 Stat. 969, 16 USC 20). This is an important distinction because it generally limits the services for which CUA's can be used.

Commercial Use Authorizations - General Criteria

Criteria which must be met for activities to be considered an commercial use operation are:

· Activities authorized must be appropriate to the mission of the park, particularly with regard to resource protection and preservation, and visitor protection and interpretation, in accordance with 36 CFR 1.6 (a).

· Commercial Use Authorizations must not be used to authorize activities that will have a negative impact on park resources.

· Authorized activities and services provided must be consistent with the purpose for which park areas are established.

· Services authorized must originate and terminate outside of the park. All aspects of the business (such as marketing, advertising, exchange of money, etc.) must take place outside of the park (defined as out-of-park services).

· Permittees must not construct any temporary or permanent structures in the park, and will not be assigned any facilities or portions thereof, located in the park, except those allowed to the general public.

· Services provided must not conflict with the preferential rights provided under any concession contract(s).

Commercial Use Authorizations - Other Considerations:

Criteria which must be met for activities to be considered an commercial use operation are:

· The number of incidental business permits may not be limited, and there must be no intent to limit the number. Anyone who meets the basic criteria may be granted a permit.

· Specific activities may be restricted to limited areas of a park.

· Permittees must comply with all applicable state and local laws in the conduct of their business.

· The National Park Service does not regulate rates for services provided by permittees.

In addition, the CUA in which you are interested contains special conditions with which CUA holders must comply. Copies of these conditions are attached here. Please ensure that you are familiar with them.

Permitted Activities

At Capitol Reef National Park the following business activities will be considered for permits:

1. Guided hiking - both day and overnight

2. Guided horseback rides

3. Horse pack trips

4. Guided bicycle touring

5. Guided motor vehicle tours

6. Photographic workshops

7. Environmental and wilderness education

8. Guiding Bison Hunters across Swap Canyon and Spring Canyon access to reach legal hunting areas. (Henry Mountain Resource Area)

9. Shuttle Services

We have enclosed provisions for Commercial Use Authorizations in Capitol Reef National Park. This document will give you further information on the requirements for business operations in the park.

Commercial Use Authorization - Fees

1. Application Fee - $100 (payable with application)

2. Processing and Administrative Fee - $100 (payable when permit is signed by permittee and returned to Capitol Reef National Park for authorizing signature)

3. Monitoring Fees: $50 per hour of monitoring may be assessed as the park deems necessary (payable upon completion of monitored activities and upon notification of the National Park Service, Capitol Reef National Park).

Applying for a Permit

In order to apply for a permit, you should send the following materials to the Chief Ranger's Office:

Mail all application materials listed above to:

Chief Ranger

CapitolReef National Park

HC 70 Box 15

Torrey, UT 84775

Once received, your application will be reviewed by our staff. If acceptable, a permit will be drafted and returned to you for signature. The signed limited-time permit then must be returned to the park with a payment of $100 permit fee to process the permit.

If you have questions regarding Commercial Use Authorizations, you may receive additional information by writing or telephoning the Chief Ranger at 435-425-3791x130.

The park looks forward to working with you.

Campground Regulations

GENERAL CAMPING INFORMATION AND CONCERNS

• NIGHTLY FEE IS $10 ($5 for Golden Age/Senior Pass or Golden Access/Access Pass cardholders). Payment must be made within 30 minutes of occupying the site. Place the receipt stub on the numbered post adjacent to your campsite. Correct change can be obtained at the visitor center. FEES ARE COLLECTED YEAR ROUND.
• Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Sites cannot be reserved or held for late arrivals. Camping is permitted only in designated campsites. A maximum of eight people is permitted in each site. Once a site is occupied, be it by one or eight people, the site is considered full. Soliciting of campers to share their campsite is prohibited.
• Checkout time is 11 am. Generator hours: April – Sept. 8-10 a.m., 6-8 p.m.             
  Oct. – March 8-10 a.m., 5-7 p.m.
• Hammocks are permitted only during daylight hours, in your own campsite and in a way that no resource damage occurs.
• Please be considerate of fellow campers when using lanterns and limit their use. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• There is a 14 day limit on camping from April 1 - November 30 and a 30 day limit from December 1 - March 31.

EMERGENCIES

• IN CASE OF EMERGENCY DIAL 911. A telephone is located at the Loop A restroom.

TELEPHONES

• Telephones are located at the restroom in Loop A and at the visitor center. Cellular phones are not reliable in this area.

CAMPGROUND HOSTS

• Hosts are in the campground from late March through late October. They can be found in sites one and two in Loop A. Please contact them should you encounter any problems.

PARKING

• All vehicles must be parked in the designated parking area at each site without extending into the roadway. Parking is not permitted on the grass or along the road.
• Speed limit is five miles per hour in the campground.

TRASH & SEWAGE DISPOSAL

• Dumpsters are located near the entrance to Loops A and B, and the entrance to Loop C.
• Aluminum recycling bins are located near the dumpsters.
• The dump station is located near the entrance to Loops A and B.

DRINKING WATER

• Potable water is available at the spigots and drinking fountains located in front of each restroom. Water from sprinklers is NOT safe to drink.

BATHING & DISHWASHING

• Washing of any kind is not permitted at spigots or drinking fountains. Do not wash dishes in the restroom or gray water sinks. Gray Water (from dish washing, bathing, and solar showers at your campsite) must be collected and deposited in gray water disposal sinks.
• Clotheslines are permitted only during daylight hours, in your own campsite and in a way that no resource damage occurs.

CAMPFIRES

• Fires are permitted ONLY in the permanent fire grates located in each campsite or in an above ground portable grill or firepan. Portable grills and firepans must not scar the ground or damage vegetation.
• Ground fires are not permitted.
• Wood gathering is not permitted in the park. Firewood can be purchased at the Gifford House and local stores.

PETS

• Pets must be restrained at all times on a leash six feet or less in length. Pets may be walked along the trail from the campground to the visitor center, along roads or in the orchards, but are not permitted on hiking trails.
• Pets may not be left unattended.
• Please clean up after your dog and dispose of waste in the dumpster.

WILDLIFE

• Feeding any wildlife is prohibited. Please help keep them wild!
• Deer are common in the campground year round. Please resist their begging and allow them some space – 30 feet or more is recommended. Cougar frequent the area.
• Skunks, raccoons, and other small animals are often seen in the campground. Keep a clean camp, keep food in closed containers, and don’t leave food outside at night to reduce the risk of unwanted visitors. Keep tents zipped and RV and car doors closed.

SPRINKLERS

• From late spring through early fall, the campground sprinklers are left on for up to 24 hours for the survival of the grass. 
• If a sprinkler is impacting your campsite, you may move it to another location in your site, but please do not turn it off. Contact the campground hosts if a problem persists.
• Water from the sprinklers is NOT safe for drinking.

FRUIT PICKING

• Fruit picking is not permitted unless the orchard is posted as open for picking.
• During the public harvest, you may pick fruit at open orchards. There is no charge for fruit consumed in the orchards.
• Please read and follow the ladder safety signs posted in the orchards or at the visitor center.

BICYCLE USE

• Bicycles are considered vehicles and as such are permitted ONLY on roadways.
• Bicycles are not permitted on hiking trails of anywhere off-road.
• Bicycles may be ridden along the trail between the campground and the visitor center.

LOST & FOUND

• The Visitor Center acts as receiving station for all lost and found items.

NEARBY SERVICES

• Medical Facilities: a clinic is located in Bicknell, 19 miles west of the park on Utah Highway 24. The closest hospital is located in Richfield, 75 miles west of the park.
• Food, camping supplies, gasoline, and lodging are not available within the park. A complete directory of nearby services is available at the visitor center.