All You Need To Know Getting Married At Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park has been one of my favorite places & one of my top requested locations to photograph throughout my career. From surprise proposals, adventurous couples & family sessions to intimate elopements and micro weddings.

And honestly, it isn’t hard to see why.

You get mountain views, alpine lakes, wide-open meadows, wandering wildlife and some of the most iconic Colorado scenery imaginable….ALL without needing to decorate a thing.

But getting married inside a national park comes with a few rules. You can’t simply find a pretty overlook, gather your people and start exchanging vows. There are designated ceremony locations, permits, group limits and a handful of restrictions you’ll want to know before making any plans.

So, let’s talk about what you can do, what you can’t do, where you can get married and how to make the whole thing official!

Permits

You will need a Special Use Permit for any wedding, elopement, vow renewal or ceremony involving two or more people inside Rocky Mountain National Park.

Yes, even if it’s just the two of you reading vows to each other…you still need one. Yes, they will check.

Your ceremony must take place at one of the park’s designated wedding locations. Each location has its own guest and vehicle limits, and some are only available during certain seasons. Your photographer and officiant are covered under your wedding permit, so they do not need separate permits. However, they do count toward the total number of people allowed at your ceremony site.

Applications are accepted one year in advance of your desired wedding month. They are reviewed beginning on the first day of each month on a first-come, first-served basis.

For example, applications for a July 2027 ceremony can be submitted beginning July 1, 2026.

RMNP currently allows:

• Up to 60 ceremonies per month from May through October
• Up to 40 ceremonies per month from November through April
• No more than two ceremonies per day at any one location
• No more than six ceremonies total per day throughout the park

In other words: apply as soon as you possibly can.

Last-minute ceremonies can sometimes be scheduled as late as seven days before the date, but only if the park still has availability. I would absolutely not build your dream wedding around that possibility.

TO APPLY

• Download and complete the Special Use Permit application from the National Park Service. You will need to include your ceremony date, designated location, requested two-hour time block and your best estimate of the number of people and vehicles attending.

• Email your completed application to romo_fees_permits@nps.gov and allow approximately 7–10 days for a response. Applications are not accepted by phone, mail or fax. Apparently, they still need to clarify the fax thing—just in case anyone is planning their elopement from 1997.

• Once your application has been reviewed, you’ll receive a draft permit to read and sign, along with instructions for paying the nonrefundable $300 fee. Do not send payment until the park contacts you.

• After everything is approved, the park will email your finalized permit. Keep a printed or digital copy with you throughout the wedding day and make sure everyone attending understands the rules.

Your wedding permit acts as your timed-entry reservation, so you do not need to obtain a separate one for the ceremony. However, it does not cover the regular park entrance fee. Every vehicle must either pay the current entrance fee or present a valid park pass. The current one-day private vehicle fee is $30.

Your finalized permit gives you access to the park beginning two hours before your ceremony and for the remainder of the day for portraits. Be prepared to show it at the entrance and again at the Bear Lake Road checkpoint if you visit that area.

Rules

RMNP ceremonies are intended to stay simple, natural and low-impact. Your ceremony location is reserved for a maximum of two hours, including arrival, setup, the ceremony, photography at that site and cleanup.

Elaborate decorations, altars, tables, tents, floral displays and generators are not allowed. A limited number of chairs may be permitted for anyone who cannot comfortably stand throughout the ceremony.

But honestly? With the Rocky Mountains as your backdrop, you don’t need to haul an entire Pinterest board up there anyway.

Bouquets and boutonnieres are allowed, but flower petals, confetti, birdseed, rice or similar materials cannot be thrown or scattered. Amplified music is not permitted, and any music must remain at or below 60 decibels—approximately the volume of a normal conversation.

Drones are prohibited throughout Rocky Mountain National Park. That applies to everyone, including licensed drone pilots, photographers and videographers. There are no wedding-day exceptions.

All designated ceremony sites remain open to the public. Your permit allows you to hold your ceremony there, but it does not provide exclusive access. Other visitors may still walk past, enjoy the view or explore nearby.

Parking is also limited, and each ceremony site has a strict vehicle maximum. Carpooling or arranging transportation is highly recommended and may be required depending on your group size.

The park operates seasonal shuttle routes along the Bear Lake Road Corridor, but schedules can change from year to year. Check the current RMNP shuttle information while planning your day.

Locations

Summer ceremony limits apply from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the second Monday in October. The rest of the year is considered the winter season.

The total number of people includes everyone present: the couple, guests, children, infants, photographer, videographer, officiant and planner. I highly recommend coordinating car pooling and or taking advantage of the shuttle.

You will find the updated shuttle times and routes here

Location	People	Vehicles	Notes & Restrictions
3M Curve	15	3	Limited parking on pull off, mountain and meadow views,
Alluvial Fan	20	5	Restrooms, Small Parking Lot, Cascade Waterfall View, Bridge & Path
Bear Lake	20	5	Winter only; no weekends, Restrooms, Mountain and lake views right off the parking lot
Copeland Lake	30	10	Restrooms. Any spot along the lake can be used for ceremonies in. a forested area with some aspen trees. Views of St. Vrain & Copeland Mountain.
Harbison Meadow	30	10	Dogs Allowed On Leash, Restrooms Near Grand Lake. Views of Kawuneeche Valley & Gore Mountain Range
Hidden Valley	30	10	Restrooms. Along Trail Ridge Road. Picnic Area, Bridge, River,
Lily Lake Dock	10	3	Restrooms. Small Parking Lot & Along Highway Parking
Lily Lake Southside Picnic Area	30	10	Restrooms.
Lily Lake Trail	20	5	Simple Picnic
Moraine Park Discovery Center Amphitheater	30	10	Dogs Allowed, Arch Is Allowed
Sprague Lake	15 summer / 30 winter	3 summer / 10 winter	Seasonal limits, parking lot
Timber Creek Campground Amphitheater	20	5	Restrooms, Dogs Allowed, Closed in winter, Sits along CO River,
Upper Beaver Meadows	30	10	Restrooms at picnic area, View of Continental Divide, dirt road and multiple small parking lots, Closed to vehicles from Mid October-May, Can access by foot September-October meadow closed 5pm-10am due to elk rut activity

Dogs are only allowed at Harbison Meadow, Moraine Park Discovery Center Amphitheater and Timber Creek Campground Amphitheater. They must remain leashed, and you’ll need to include them in your application.

Moraine Park Discovery Center Amphitheater is the only designated ceremony location where an arch is allowed.

Lily Lake Southside Picnic Area is the only site that can accommodate a simple picnic or food reception. A reception requires an additional Special Use Permit, and food trucks, tents, bands, loud music and large quantities of alcohol are not permitted.

I am more than happy to discuss locations further in details and help you plan your wedding from low key to adventure. I got you covered! Shoot me a message and let the game planning begin!