Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies at Arches National Park

Permits

Special events in national parks often require a Special Use Permit. The purpose of these permits is to ensure the protection of the park's natural and cultural resources, as well as to minimize conflicts between park visitors and your guests. Read below for information on park policies, fees, and how to apply for a permit.

Planning

• Weddings may be scheduled up to one year in advance.
• Special Use Permits should be requested by the individuals getting married and not by a third party.
• The park requests a minimum of four weeks to fully process a basic permit request. Do not wait until the last minute to apply for your permit. Applications for complex special events may require more than four weeks to process.

Be aware of busy weekends and holidays when choosing dates. You can find more information on traffic congestion and the best times to visit at our Traffic & Travel Tips page. We also recommend checking our Alerts & Conditions page for current need-to-know information.

 

Locations

The following wedding locations with corresponding group sizes have been identified to be in compliance with park management and resource protection obligations:

Location	Group Size
La Sal Mountains Viewpoint	50
The Windows Section (North Window, South Window, Turret Arch, or Double Arch)	25
Sand Dune Arch	25
Pine Tree Arch	25
Park Avenue	15
Devils Garden Campground Amphitheater	80
Panorama Point	50

Applications to hold a ceremony at other locations within the park will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

Permit Conditions

A permit does not grant exclusive use of the area and the area will remain open to the visiting public. Permittees may not ask the public to alter their visitation in any way. Additional permit conditions are imposed as follows:

• Natural Resource Protection: Wedding activities are restricted to slickrock, dry washes, or maintained areas of the park to protect fragile biological soil crust and plant life.
• Bouquets: To prevent the introduction of invasive species into the park, dried plants, including grasses, are prohibited in bouquets.
• Releases: Butterfly releases, and all other living and/or inanimate object releases or dispersal, including birdseed and rice, are prohibited. The permittee is responsible for site cleanup.
• Decorations: The use of balloons, arches, or any other type of decorations will not be authorized.
• Obstructions: Permittees may not obstruct sidewalks, trails, parking lots, or other visitor facilities. This includes the use of tents, tables, or other furniture. The park will evaluate folding chairs on a case-by-case basis.
• Food: The establishment of caterers or any food service is prohibited.
• Audio Disturbance: No public address system is permitted and music volumes are highly regulated (Re: 36 CFR 2.12). Noise levels must not exceed normal speaking volumes.
• Vehicles: All vehicles must be parked in designated areas only; no off-road traffic. Carpooling is recommended and may be required at specific locations.
• Pets: Pets are typically not allowed at ceremony sites, particularly those areas off pavement or in other undeveloped locations.
• Drones: Operating a drone is prohibited.
• Monitor: Activities will be monitored or spot checked by NPS personnel for compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit and to ensure that no resource damage or visitor conflicts are occurring.
• Time limit: If requested ceremony location is under or immediately adjacent to an arch or scenic feature, then the ceremony may have a required time limit of 15 minutes, depending on time of day, time of year, and other visitation patters and factors. Locations likely to contain a time limit in the permit conditions are The Windows Section, Sand Dune Arch, Pine Tree Arch, and Park Avenue due to the congested nature of those locations.

 

How to Apply

Please submit a completed Form 10-930s (179k fillable PDF document) along with Pay.gov payment confirmation to: [e-mail].

 

Fee Change for 2023 Weddings

Wedding permits require an application fee of $185.

All applicants who paid $385 for a wedding permit in 2022 or 2023 will be refunded $200.

 

Permit Fees

APPLICATION FEE
The application fee for a wedding permit is $185. Please pay via Pay.gov.

This fee covers the costs associated with providing initial contact and consultation with permittees, initial review of a standard application, and the costs associated with issuing a standard permit, which includes, but is not limited to, the average time it takes for processing fees, permit development, consultations with the permittee, managerial consultations, and billing. The application fee and permit processing fees are non-refundable once the permit office has received your permit application.

Applicants should submit payments via Pay.gov. To make a payment:

• Enter "ARCH" in the Pay.gov search window.
• Payment will be made at: Canyonlands and Arches NP & Natural Bridges and Hovenweep NM Special Use Permit – click on “Continue."
• Check which park your Special Use Permit is for. Under Permit Fee click on Permit and select Wedding.
• Enter a total dollar amount of $185 for the type of Special Use Permit you are requesting.
• Follow the instructions and fill out the forms.
• Save your payment confirmation; you will submit this with your application.

COST RECOVERY
If event monitoring is required, a cost recovery fee may be charged. The cost recovery fee is directly associated with managing the permit activity. Fees will be quoted upon issuance of the permit and calculated based on the duration, location, and monitoring requirements of the permit.

Entrance Fees

The standard park entrance fee also applies. We encourage wedding attendees to carpool; space is limited in some places.

 

Questions

Call the special use permit coordinator at 435-719-2123 or email us.