Permits & Reservations

Reservations

Tours are offered on Saturdays, Memorial Day weekend till Labor Day weekend for upto 20 people. When staffing allowes, tours are offered by request throughout the year, but need to be requested at least 2 weeks in advance.

To reserve a spot on any tour or rquest at tour, please call 530-667-8119 or 530-260-0537.

Groups larger than 20 and/or school groups please call 530-667-8119 to set up your tour at least two weeks in advance.

Segregation Center

Tours of the Tule Lake Segregation Center, which include stops at the jail and other areas of significance, begin at the Tulelake Butte Valley Fairgrounds Museum at 10:00 am and last approximately 2 hours.

Camp Tulelake

Tours of Camp Tulelake include a walk around the remaining buildings of this original Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, begin at the Tulelake Butte Valley Fairgrounds Museum at 1:00 pm and last approximately 1 hour.

 

Permits

Within the Tule Lake National Monument you can find many places ideal for a variety of special activities. Most events and activities held within the park require a Special Use Permit. These permits are issued and approved only after National Park Service staff determines that the activity will not impair park values, resources, and visitor enjoyment.

A Special Use Permit or Filming Permit is required for activities that provide a benefit to an individual, group, or organization, rather than the public at large, and for activities that require some degree of management by the National Park Service. Examples of activities include, but are not limited to: filming, cultural programs, workshops, events, runs, and cycling events.

The goal of the park in issuing a permit is to ensure that the permitted activity does not interfere with the enjoyment of the park by other visitors and that the natural and cultural resources of the park are protected.

 

Permit Requirements

A permit is required when an activity such as filming, videotaping, sound recording or still photography* involves any one of the below factors:

• the use of talent, or professional crews, or set dressing, or props,
• when they involve product or service advertisement,
• when the activity could result in damage to park resources,
• creates a disturbance to visitor use,

*Still Photography does not require a permit if it involves only hand-held equipment (tripod, interchangeable lenses or flash), and does not involve any of the above factors.

Media

Breaking News - Is an event that cannot be covered at any other time or at any other location. Coverage of breaking news does not require a permit.

Other Media - Frequently there are opportunities for news organizations to focus on park programs, or increase public awareness of park-specific issues. Filming related to these stories must be coordinated and planned in advance and do require a permit.

School media projects, independent films, documentaries, interviews with former internees, and feature films require a film permit.

Restrictions

The National Park Service cannot accommodate a project if:

• Damage to natural, cultural and recreational resources is expected which cannot be mitigated
• The activity involves access to areas normally closed for reasons of resource protection and safety
• The level of activity within the park is already so high that staff would be unavailable to work with film crews
• The project includes a portrayal of activities that are not permitted within a national park
• The production company is unwilling or unable to obtain necessary insurance, or comply with National Park Service bond requirements Prohibited Activities
• Altering, damaging or removing vegetation or cultural resources
• Vehicle use off established roads and parking areas
• Smoking in buildings, or in vegetated areas
• Digging, scraping, chiseling, or defacing natural or cultural features

 

Permit Application Procedures

Please submit the appropriate below application(s). You can contact the Park Special Park Uses & Filming Coordinator at 530-667-8111 and/or by e-mail at [e-mail].

Special Park Use Short Form

Special Park Use Long Form

Commercial Filming & Still Photography Short Form

Commercial Filming & Still Photography Long Form

Your request will be evaluated on the basis of the information in your application. During the process of reviewing and evaluating a permit application, if it is determined that substantial park staffing resources will be required for the permitted activity, the Park Special Park Uses Coordinator will contact the applicant about additional permit costs. Therefore you are encouraged to attach, maps, diagrams, script pages, vehicle and equipment lists, call sheet, itineraries, shot list, etc. with you application to assist park staff in evaluating your request. Most requests may be processed within 14 days if the application is complete and without alteration. In compliance with the requirements of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, applicants must submit their Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number when filling out the application for permit.

Costs

Permit Fees and Monitoring - Congress has authorized the National Park Service to charge location fees for the use of park lands and facilities for filming purposes. Site use charges will be estimated based on the information you provide in your application.

 

Scientific Research and Collecting Permit

Scientific or Research Permits are separate from Special Use Permits and are required before conducting any research within the park. This permit is required for most scientific activities pertaining to natural resources or social science studies in National Park System areas that involve fieldwork, specimen collection, and/or have the potential to disturb resources or visitors. When permits are required for scientific activities pertaining solely to cultural resources, including archeology, ethnography, history, cultural museum objects, cultural landscapes, and historic and prehistoric structures, other permit procedures apply. You can apply for a Scientific Research and Collecting Permit online through the National Park Service Research Permit and Reporting System. For more information about research at the Tule Lake Unit please contact the Chief of Natural Resources at 530-667-8106.