• Visitors bask in a golden sunset at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center in Shenandoah National Park

    Shenandoah

    National Park Virginia

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  • Vehicle Fuel Available at Big Meadows ONLY!

    Vehicle fuel is only available at Big Meadows (mile 52). Gas service has been discontinued at the Loft and Elkwallow areas.

Commercial Use Authorizations

  • CUAs are currently issued for one year.
  • There is no right or guarantee of renewal. Permittee must reapply for a new CUA for succeeding periods upon expiration of the current CUA.
  • CUAs are issued for a yearly fee. The current fee is $200.
  • CUAs are not considered concession contracts. These services need not be "necessary" but are "appropriate" services that may enhance the visitor experience, and have been determined to have minimal impact on resources and park values.
  • Commercial business activity is prohibited within the park unless a CUA has been granted by the park (36 CFR Sec. 5.3).

  • No commercial activities are to be conducted on Skyline Drive in October of any given year.

COMMERCIAL USE AUTHORIZATION INFORMATION AND APPLICATION PACKET

Park-Specific Provisions
CUAs apply only to those federal parks, preserves, monuments, and historic sites administered by the National Park Service (NPS).

CUA Fees
The authority for the National Park Service (NPS) to impose user charges to recover and retain costs associated with managing special park uses is found in 31 U.S.C. 9701 and 16 U.S.C. 3a. Fees for CUAs are non-refundable. Monitoring fees may apply. The monitoring fee is determined by tracking how much it actually costs the park to monitor and/or perform needed functions to properly manage the commercial use. If applicable, you will receive a bill for collection at the end of the season for the monitoring fee.

CUA Cost: This fee covers the costs associated with the administrative process of preparing and issuing the CUA, including National Environmental Policy Act and cultural compliance approval if applicable. This fee includes the cost of operating. The CUA fee, if applicable, should be submitted along with your application form. Make your remittance payable to Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

Monitoring Cost: This fee covers the park's costs associated with monitoring and/or performing needed functions to properly manage the incidental business park activity.

Liability Insurance
The NPS requires all permittees to carry liability insurance.

Reporting Requirements
Annual Survey Report: The annual survey report is due within one month of the expiration of an authorization. Not returning this form by the due date is grounds for revocation or non-renewal of your CUA.

Commercial Use Authorization Application

Did You Know?

A hiker is dwarfed by the huge, round, lichen-covered boulders of Old Rag Mountain.

The large rounded boulders on the top of Old Rag, Shenandoah National Park’s most popular peak, were formed in place by chemical and physical weathering, called spheroidal weathering.