Garden of the Gods Elopement Guide

Red rock spires, Pikes Peak in the background, and, unlike Rocky Mountain National Park, no permit required. Garden of the Gods is one of the easiest places in Colorado to elope. Here’s the short version.

No permit, no fee, no reservation

Garden of the Gods is a City of Colorado Springs park, not a national park, and it plays by very different rules. Small, brief ceremonies don’t require a special use permit or fee: no application, no approval window, no cost. You simply show up and use one of the designated sites, first-come, first-served.

One thing to double-check closer to your date: a few sources note the city has considered adding permit requirements in the future. It’s worth a quick glance at the official city page shortly before your trip just to confirm nothing’s changed.

The six ceremony sites

Only these six spots are designated for ceremonies; pick based on capacity and how much company you’re willing to share the view with:

Site	Capacity
Jaycee Plaza	50
Sentinel Plaza	25
Three Graces Plaza	25
High Point	50
Scotsman Picnic Area	25
South Spring Canyon Area	50

For just the two of you, Sentinel Plaza or Three Graces Plaza tend to be quieter picks.

Site capacities and the current no-permit policy above are drawn from public sources, not something we've personally confirmed on site. See the official city page directly before you finalize plans around a specific site.

The rules

• No alcohol anywhere in the park.
• No amplified sound (music/speakers) without a separate Noise Hardship Permit from Colorado Springs Police.
• No chairs (except for elderly/disabled guests), tables, tents, arches, or trellises.
• No decorations, no rice, confetti, or balloon/butterfly releases.
• No blocking off areas or parking spaces, and stay on established trails.
• It’s a public park: other visitors may be at your site, and no reception is allowed except a picnic-style gathering at Scotsman or South Spring Canyon.
• Personal photos don’t need a permit; commercial use (e.g., your photographer’s portfolio) does.

A quick legal clarification

The “six sites” rule is a park-use policy, not a marriage law. Colorado’s self-solemnization means signing your license is just paperwork between the two of you, and it has no site requirement at all, legally. The six-site rule just determines what counts as a permitted “ceremony” inside park boundaries, enforced loosely by rangers reacting to visible issues (chairs, decorations, blocked trails). Two people quietly exchanging vows off to the side, with no props, is low-key enough to be indistinguishable from a couple taking photos, so treat the six sites as the lowest-hassle option, not the only legal one.

Practical notes

• Go at sunrise. The park gets busy, especially on weekends, and a full parking lot can mean a 20+ minute wait to loop back around.
• Elevation is around 6,400 ft, noticeably lower than most Rocky Mountain National Park sites, so altitude is a minor concern here; see attire and altitude prep if you’re also considering a higher-elevation venue.
• The landscape looks similar year-round, making an off-season date a good way to get more privacy without losing the scenery.
• Marriage license: same Colorado process as anywhere else. The El Paso County Clerk’s office is right in Colorado Springs, a short drive from the park. It’s also one of the counties confirmed to notarize the Social Security number affidavit on the spot if you don’t have an SSN.

There’s nothing to apply for and nothing to pay: pick a quiet morning, a site, and go. If you want to weigh it against other nearby options first, see scenic spots within 2 hours of Denver, or eloping at Maroon Bells if you’re willing to travel further for a more iconic (and more reservation-heavy) backdrop.