Doing Business With The Park

 

NPS Photo

Concessions Operations

Pre-Solicitation Site Visit: Kettle Falls

The National Park Service (NPS) will host a pre-solicitation site visit to provide interested entities an overview of the concession operations at Kettle Falls. The site visit will allow interested parties to review the property, facilities, and park area to better inform their potential responses to a future official prospectus for this business opportunity.

The pre-solicitation site visit will take place on Monday, September 29, 2025. Individuals and organizations interested in attending the site visit must register to attend by emailing the park by close of business on September 19, 2025. A maximum of 2 people may register per organization. Seating on the park's tour boat will be limited to the first 29 registrants, although more parties or individuals may attend if they provide their own transportation or charter their own water taxi services. The park lists water taxi businesses approved to operate in Voyageurs on its website.

Attendance at the site visit is not required to submit a proposal. Typically, the NPS holds a site visit after the release of a prospectus. However, the NPS will not host an additional post-release site visit because the Concession Facilities will be closed during the winter season.

 

M. Challeen / NPS Image

Additional Information

The NPS anticipates releasing a prospectus for a concession business opportunity to provide lodging, retail, food and beverage, guest transportation, marina services, and mechanical boat portage services within Voyageurs National Park ("Park") in early 2026. The prospectus will describe the business opportunity and the terms and conditions of Concession Contract No. CC-VOYA002-27 ("Draft Contract"). General information about this business opportunity and the Draft Contract are provided below.

Questions
The NPS will not answer questions about the future prospectus or business opportunity during registration or at the site visit. Interested entities must submit questions in writing after the release of the solicitation to the contact person and by the deadline that will be provided in the prospectus.

No Preferred Offeror
The Director has determined that no preferred offeror for this Draft Contract exists pursuant to the terms of 36 C.F.R. Part 51. This future solicitation for commercial services will be fully competitive.

 

NPS Photo

Concession Opportunity CC-VOYA002-27

• The NPS expects the Draft Contract to have a term of ten (10) years with an effective date of January 1, 2027. The Draft Contract will require the concessioner to provide the following visitor services:
  • Overnight accommodations that offer 10 hotel rooms within the Kettle Falls Hotel, plus Villas (10 units in 3 village buildings)
  • Food and Beverage service within Kettle Falls Hotel (3 meals/day)
  • Guest Transportation that offers round trip boat transportation to Kettle Falls from the Ash River Visitor Center
  • Marina services that include fuel, oil, ice, and bait sales; boat and outboard motor rental; and overnight docking for hotel and villa guests
  • Retail that includes at a minimum visitor convenience items, souvenirs, and camping supplies. Retail sales take place at the Trading Post and hotel lobby
  • Mechanical Boat Portage Services between boat launch sites at Rainy Lake and Namakan Lake over the Kettle Falls dam

• The Draft Contract will authorize the concessioner to provide a variety of visitor services that include the following:
  • On-site sale of alcoholic beverages within Kettle Falls Hotel
  • Fishing guide services
  • Kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddle board rental
  • North Canoe tours with park review and approval
  • Vending machine operations (location, type, and number upon park review & approval)
  • Dockside electrical hookups at select location(s)
  • Massage services and nature-based wellness programs
  • Sack lunches / Grab-and-go food services
  • Water taxi service from Kettle Falls to park approved destinations
  • Boat-based interpretive tours with park review and approval
  • Land-based interpretive programs within the Kettle Falls area
  • Minor boat repair
  • Guest laundry
  • Chase boat services
  • Delivery services to campers and houseboats
  • Houseboat rental (limited number of houseboats with specific conditions)

More details about investment analysis, leasehold surrender interest, and historical concession data is detailed in the Pre-Solicitation Site Visit Business Opportunity Summary. For more information about the National Park Service's Commercial Services Program, concession contracts, and the laws and policies that control and guide them, visit the NPS Commercial Services website.

 

Commercial Use Authorizations (CUAs)

Businesses must have a valid Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) to provide commercial services within the park. Examples of businesses that need CUAs are fishing guides, water taxis, private tour boats, and more.

 

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  Commercial Use Authorizations

  Learn how to apply for a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) so you can offer professional business services in Voyageurs.

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  Find rentals, guides, and more

  Find local guides, boat rentals and more

  Local area businesses offer guides, watercraft rentals, private boat charters, and more.

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  Visit the CUA Application Website

  Visit the website that businesses use to apply for CUAs in all national park sites (including Voyageurs National Park)

 

Special events that bring large groups into the park are a type of activity that requires a special use permit.

NPS

Special Use Permits (General)

A special park use is defined as an activity that takes place in a park area, and that:

• Provides a benefit to an individual, group, or organization rather than the public at large
• Requires written authorization and some degree of management control from the Service in order to protect park resources and the public interest
• Is not prohibited by law or regulation
• Is not initiated, sponsored, or conducted by the National Park Service
• Is not managed under a concession contract, a recreation activity for which the NPS charges a fee (e.g., camping or houseboat permits), or a lease.

You must have a valid Special Use Permit (SUP) to perform these types of activities. Some common examples of special park uses in Voyageurs are commercial filming, weddings, special events, plowing ice roads longer than 300 feet, and memorizlization.

Applying for an SUP

To apply for an SUP, begin by downloading the appropriate form below. Forms may be printed or filled out electronically. Completed electronic forms can be emailed to [e-mail], or printed hard copies can be sent by mail to the address below.

Current SUP Forms

• Special Use Permit Application (General)
• Application for Special Use Permit Filming, Still Photography, and Audio Recording
• Application for Special Use Permit: Demonstrations and Distribution of Materials

Mailing Address
Voyageurs National Park
Chief of Visitor & Resource Protection
360 Highway 11 East
International Falls, Minnesota 56649

SUP Application Fees

There is a standard $50 application fee for each application. If paying by check, please make checks out to the National Park Service and include the check in the mail with your application.

If you prefer to pay electronically, simply submit your application by mail or email without a check. The park will then automatically create and send an electronic invoice that applicants can use to securely pay by credit card, debit card, or any other preferred method of electronic payment. Cash is not accepted for application fees.

 

The Voyageur is one of the park tour boats that may be chartered.

NPS

Charter Special Use Permits

The park's two tour boats are available to be chartered for private events. The Charter Tours application may be downloaded as a printable Word document or filled out electronically. Mail the SUP with the required documentation and application fee to the address below.

Voyageurs National Park
Tour Boat Charters
360 Highway 11 East
International Falls, Minnesota 56649

For More Information

For questions regarding any type of SUP or CUA, call the park at [phone] Ext. 0