There is no single ski resort filming permit in the United States. A commercial shoot on a ski mountain usually needs written approval from the resort. If the terrain sits on a national forest, it may also need a federal permit. Drones add a third layer: pilot certification, insurance and a flight plan. Plan on at least a month, and on up to 60 days if the Forest Service is involved.
This guide explains who decides, what each party asks for, and how to submit a request that gets a yes. It is written for brand managers, producers and editors who commission winter content. It is also for anyone planning a crew shoot on a US mountain.
TL;DR
- Private resorts act as landlords. Commercial filming needs written approval from the resort’s marketing or communications team, and their decision is final.
- If the ski area is on national forest land, you may also need a Forest Service special use permit. Holding one does not replace the resort’s own approval.
- Budget 30 days for the resort and up to 60 days for the Forest Service on complex shoots. Drones and larger insurance limits add time.
- Send a mapped plan, crew list, insurance certificate and (for drones) your FAA Part 107 details with the first request.
- Some resorts do not host commercial shoots at all, so ask before you build a schedule around one.
Table of Contents
- Who actually grants permission on a ski mountain
- Step 1: Ask the resort first
- Step 2: Check whether federal land is involved
- Drones on ski mountains
- Insurance, in practical terms
- A realistic timeline
- Where the work goes wrong
- Our perspective
- Working with us on a winter or mountain shoot
- FAQ
- Sources
Who actually grants permission on a ski mountain
A ski mountain is rarely one landowner. It is usually a business operating a lift and trail system, sometimes on land it owns, sometimes on land it leases from the public. That gives you two possible gatekeepers.
The resort. Ski areas treat filming as an operations and guest-experience question. Sunday River in Maine allows personal photography across the resort but requires prior approval from its Marketing Department for all commercial and media filming. Loveland Ski Area in Colorado explains that, as a working ski area, it runs heavy machinery such as snowcats and snowmobiles on the mountain. That is part of why it wants to control who films and where.
The land manager. Many western resorts operate on national forest land under a Forest Service permit. Snowbasin in Utah tells producers that shoots need extra approvals and may need Forest Service permits and proof of insurance. The Forest Service itself advises that if a shoot falls within a ski area boundary, you should contact the ski area as well.
The order matters. Start with the resort. If the resort says no, a federal permit will not help you, because a private operator’s refusal stands even where a federal permit covers part of the land. Producers who assume a federal permit overrides resort policy are a common source of failed schedules.
Step 1: Ask the resort first
Most resorts publish a media page with an email address. Use it before anything else.
Expect three kinds of answer:
- Yes, with conditions. Sunday River, Snowbasin and Purgatory all route requests through marketing or communications. Purgatory says regional media and broadcast crews should contact them as soon as possible and that requests are judged case by case.
- Yes, but only for partners. Eldora in Colorado says that, with extremely rare exceptions for paid partners, it does not host commercial photography or videography.
- No. Treat that as final and move to another mountain.
The second answer is worth knowing about before you pitch a client. A resort that does not host outside commercial crews may still work with you as a paid partner, but that is a sponsorship conversation, not a permit application.
What to put in the first email
Keep it short and complete. A reviewer who has to ask five follow-up questions will put your request at the bottom of the pile.
- Client or brand, and where the content will run (paid ads, web, editorial, social)
- Proposed dates, with one or two backups
- Crew size, named roles and the equipment list
- Locations on the mountain, marked on the resort’s trail map
- Whether you need lift access, closed terrain, or staged athletes
- Insurance certificate, with the resort named as additional insured if requested
- Drone details, if any (see below)
Step 2: Check whether federal land is involved
If the resort’s terrain is on a national forest, the Forest Service becomes the second gatekeeper. The rules changed recently, so check the current ones rather than an old checklist.
Public lands rules after the EXPLORE Act
The EXPLORE Act limits the authority of federal agencies to require permits or fees for filming and still photography on federal land. For the National Park Service, permits and fees generally are not required for filming that involves eight or fewer people, uses hand-carried equipment, needs no exclusive site use and does not harm resources. The agency now looks at physical impact rather than whether the content is commercial. Our guide to EXPLORE Act and national park film permits covers the park side in detail.
The Forest Service has since updated its own rules. According to Paddling Light’s report, they now use four tiers regardless of commercial status. Small groups avoid daily fees, and groups of six to eight need a free de minimis authorization. Wilderness areas get extra review. A ski area is rarely wilderness, but a backcountry line next to it might be.
The practical point for ski producers: a small, hand-carried shoot may need little or no federal paperwork. A full commercial crew with sleds, lighting, models or staging will not qualify. It needs a special use permit.
What a special use permit involves
The Forest Service’s Southwestern Region form for still photography and commercial filming requests warns that a local office may take up to 60 days to review a proposal. It lists commercial filming as anything involving advertising a product or service, actors, models, sets or props, or content made for income. The form carries a fee schedule of $50 to $250 per day for still photography and $150 to $600 per day for commercial filming, depending on group size. Cost recovery processing fees are separate. Because the agency has revised its rules since, confirm the current fee with the local ranger district before you budget.
Two other Forest Service practices help:
- Another Forest Service checklist suggests preliminary phone contact at least 10 days ahead for minimal-impact shoots and 30 days ahead for longer or heavier ones. Call earlier than that.
- The project description carries the most weight on complex shoots. A mapped plan showing where gear is staged and how it affects lift operations and guest traffic prevents most delays.
Drones on ski mountains
Drones are where most winter requests fail. Resorts treat them as a safety and liability exception, not a standard add-on.
Cherry Peak Resort in Utah, for instance, prohibits the general public from flying drones on or above its property. Commercial operators are a separate conversation, and they should expect to prove they are professionals.
Here is what resorts and land managers typically want, based on the sources we reviewed:
| Requirement | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Pilot credential | FAA Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107) |
| Lead time | Often 2 to 4 weeks for drone requests, longer for larger productions |
| Plan | Detailed flight and production plan, with takeoff zones and lift lines marked |
| Insurance | Liability cover, often much higher than for ground-only shoots |
| Paperwork | Documented liability releases |
The Sunday River policy page lists these expectations for commercial drone requests. On insurance, the Forest Service form points to higher limits for drone work than for ordinary commercial photography. The figures commonly cited are $5,000,000 for drones and $1,000,000 for ground-only shoots. Confirm the exact amount with your carrier and with each resort before you bind coverage, because limits vary.
For the FAA and state-by-state side, see our notes on drone filming permits in the USA and commercial drone rules for photographers. If your concept depends on aerial footage, ask the resort about drones in your first email, not your third. Our primer on drone cinematography helps you decide whether the shot is worth the approval effort.
Insurance, in practical terms
Insurance is the document that most often holds up a ski resort filming approval. A resort is exposed to injury and property claims the moment a crew rides its lifts and works near its snowcats.
- Ask your broker for a certificate of insurance before you submit, not after approval.
- Ask whether the resort wants to be named as additional insured and what limit it wants.
- If the Forest Service is involved, it will want proof too.
- Check whether your policy covers winter conditions, remote locations and gear on snow.
We go deeper in our pieces on production photography insurance and expedition photography insurance, including how insurance questions drive permit timing.
A realistic timeline
Most resorts want at least 30 days for commercial requests. Loveland’s policy page asks for lead time so it can coordinate safety protocols, lift schedules and crowd management. Snowbasin asks for at least three weeks. Treat those as minimums.
A workable schedule for a December or January shoot looks like this:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 12 to 16 weeks out | Shortlist resorts, check media pages, send first email |
| 10 to 12 weeks out | Resort answers. Submit federal application if the mountain is on national forest land |
| 8 weeks out | Insurance certificate issued, drone plan filed |
| 4 weeks out | Final shot list, athlete and crew confirmed, resort safety briefing scheduled |
| 1 week out | Weather window and backup day agreed in writing |
Snow conditions are your real deadline. If the permit arrives after the powder has gone, it was too late.
Where the work goes wrong
From what the policies above describe, the same mistakes recur:
- Assuming a federal permit is enough. The resort’s written authorization is separate.
- Treating a small crew as exempt everywhere. Public-land exemptions do not reach private resort policy.
- Hiding the drone. Unauthorized commercial photography or drone use can bring serious consequences, including loss of season passes, gear confiscation and trespass or privacy liability.
- Vague locations. “Somewhere on the upper mountain” is not a plan.
- Ignoring guests. Resorts protect the experience of paying skiers first, so your plan should show how you avoid blocking trails and lifts.
Our perspective
We shoot action, outdoor and mountain sports for brands and editors, and the pattern is the same on every mountain, whether in the Alps or elsewhere. The permit is rarely the hard part. The hard part is showing the people who own the mountain that you understand their risks.
A resort’s marketing team reads a hundred requests that start with a mood board and no logistics. The ones that get approved start with the plan: where the crew stands, how athletes move, what happens if the weather turns, who carries the insurance. That is also how we run our own productions. A tight shot list is not just good filmmaking, it is the safety document.
We also push clients to shoot lighter than they first imagine. Our work with wireless gear on bikes, for example, shows how small, mobile setups can cover action without a large footprint. See our mountain biking filming techniques. A lighter crew is easier to approve, easier to insure and less disruptive to the guests around you. The shot still has to land, and it can.
Finally, ask early and ask honestly. If a resort says no to commercial crews, as some do, accept it and find the mountain that wants the content.
— Martin
Working with us on a winter or mountain shoot
If you need a photographer or filmmaker who plans around approvals, insurance and mountain safety, we offer commercial photography and commercial videography for outdoor, sports and adventure brands. We do not publish fixed prices for these services, since every project differs in scope, so get in touch with your brief and dates. For productions in Switzerland, our guide to location scouting that handles permits shows how we approach the same questions on this side of the Atlantic.
FAQ
Do I need a permit to film at a ski resort?
For commercial work, you need the resort’s written authorization, usually from its marketing or communications department. If the ski area is on national forest land, you may also need a Forest Service permit, depending on crew size and equipment. Personal photography is generally allowed at most resorts.
Can I fly a drone at a ski resort for a commercial shoot?
Only with explicit approval. Resorts commonly require a Part 107 certificate, a flight plan, liability releases and high insurance limits, and many refuse drone requests outright. Ask in your first email, and allow at least two to four weeks for the review.
How far ahead should I apply?
Allow at least 30 days for the resort, and up to 60 days where the Forest Service reviews a complex project. For a peak-season shoot, start the conversation three to four months ahead.
Does a Forest Service permit let me film anywhere in the ski area?
No. The resort is a separate gatekeeper. A federal permit covers the public land use, but the resort can still decline a commercial shoot on its operations, lifts and property.
Do small crews or influencers need a permit?
On federal land, small groups may qualify for exemptions. The National Park Service uses eight or fewer people as a threshold, and the Forest Service sets its own tiers. Private resorts apply their own rules to any commercial content, regardless of crew size.
Sources
- Sunday River Resort policies
- Loveland Ski Area media center
- Snowbasin media requests
- Purgatory Resort press room
- Eldora Mountain media resources
- Cherry Peak Resort mountain policies
- Forest Service Southwestern Region filming request form
- Forest Service commercial filming permit checklist
- Congressional Research Service on filming on federal lands
- National Park Service on filming, photography and audio recording
- Paddling Light on Forest Service rule updates
