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State Park Concession Opportunities

DCNR’s Bureau of State Parks has more than 150 Concession Lease Agreements that cover concession operations such as:

  • Food and refreshment sales
  • Watercraft rentals
  • Bicycle rentals
  • Restaurant operations
  • Golf course operations
  • Whitewater rafting operations

Each concession operation is covered by a Concession Lease Agreement that contains some terms and conditions that are the same for all agreements and additional terms and conditions that are tailored to each agreement to meet the requirements of the particular operation.

Becoming a State Park Concessionaire

The DCNR Bureau of State Parks generally awards concessions through a competitive bid process.

Concessions currently available for bid can be found at the Concession Opportunities page.

Bidding on a Concession Opportunity

If you are interested in bidding on an available concession, you will need to obtain a bid package directly from the involved state park.

It is strongly recommended that you view the leased premise at the state park before you bid.

After receipt of the bidder's package you will need to read all information and follow the directions relative to completion of the “Invitation to Bidders and Concession Lease Agreement Proposal Form.”

The invitation to bid must be returned in the envelope provided with all requested information and necessary signatures.

The completed form, accompanied by a Bid Guaranty that must equal 10 percent of the Lump Sum Annual Payment Bid, must be returned to the listed address by the time and date listed. Personal checks are not accepted.

Concession Award Process

On the listed time and date, competitive bids received are opened by DCNR’s legal staff, and the Bureau of State Parks staff is informed as to who the acceptable bidder(s) are.

After the bid opening, results will be posted on the State Parks’ Concessions Opportunities page.

If no problems have been encountered at the time of the bid opening or there are no questions relative to the highest responsible bidder, the DCNR Bureau of State Parks will award the concession to the highest responsible bidder.

The commonwealth has the right to reject any and all bids.

Request for Proposal

Sometimes a request for proposal is used. Contracts resulting from the request for proposal process are awarded to the proposer with the highest scored proposal.

Other State Park Business Opportunities and Agreement Types

Commercial, special activities, and organized events are often held in our state parks and require approval and the appropriate authorization or agreement.

See our Organized Group Activities page to learn more.

Letter of Authorization

A Letter of Authorization is required for any group or organized activity. Examples include:

  • Triathlons
  • Duathlons
  • Dog events
  • Weddings
  • Fishing tournaments
  • Horseback riding
  • Steamboat shows
  • Klondike derbies
  • Kayak meet-ups
  • Paddleboarding
  • Equipment demonstrations
  • Disc golf tournaments
  • Regattas
  • Organized hikes

Special Activities Agreement

Special short-term events may be granted permission to sell food and refreshment items by use of a Special Activities Agreement.

Commercial Use License

This is used primarily to cover commercial activities that occur outside a state park area but use park resources to further their business efforts.

This includes things such as guided fishing trips, guided bicycle trips, use of park for development of photographic advertising materials, etc.

A Commercial Use License may be denied by the involved park office based on numerous considerations.

Short-Term Concession Lease Agreement

At certain times, a state park may have a short-term (less than a year) need for a specific concession that operates from within the park.

In this case, it is possible for the park to issue a Short-Term Concession Lease Agreement.