Plenty of couples elope with their kids, a parent or two, and the dog who has been there through everything. Colorado makes room for all of them, but the rules are uneven: a site that welcomes your toddler may ban your dog, and your four year old counts as a full guest toward a permit cap. Here is what the land managers and the law actually say.
Kids and guests count toward group caps
| Site | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain National Park | 10 to 30 by site, including infants, officiant and photographer | NPS |
| Maroon Bells Amphitheatre | 50 people | Recreation.gov |
| Sapphire Point Overlook | 30 with a reservation, 10 without | Forest Service |
| Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness | 10 people per group | Forest Service order |
| Sunrise Amphitheater, Boulder | 100 per time block, all summit facilities | City of Boulder |
Rocky Mountain National Park is the strictest. Its wedding page says group size includes the couple, all guests “including infants and young children,” officiants, and photographers or videographers,. A family of six plus a photographer and officiant already fills most of Lily Lake Dock’s limit of 10. Our RMNP permit guide lists every site.
Who can sign, and the paw print question
Colorado’s solemnization statute, C.R.S. 14-2-109, lets a judge, magistrate, authorized public official, religious official or “the parties to the marriage” solemnize it. It says nothing about witnesses, and the Denver Clerk and Recorder states that neither witnesses nor an officiant are required for a valid self solemnization. The signatures that make your marriage valid are yours, plus an officiant’s if you use one.
So a child can absolutely be part of the ceremony and sign the optional witness lines. Our self solemnization guide covers how to fill out the certificate.
Your dog is another matter. Denver’s clerk says paw prints are not allowed on marriage licenses. El Paso County says pet paw prints are no longer allowed in the witness section because they cause problems for its copy and scanning machines. Ink the paw on a keepsake copy instead. The legal basics are in Colorado marriage laws.
Dog rules by land type
National parks
Rocky Mountain National Park prohibits pets on all trails, tundra and meadows. Leashed pets, on a leash no longer than six feet, may go only along established roads and parking areas and in established campgrounds and picnic areas. Pets cannot enter visitor centers or be left in a car if that endangers them.
For ceremonies, the park’s FAQ says leashed dogs are allowed only at Moraine Park Discovery Center Amphitheater, Timber Creek Campground Amphitheater and Harbison Meadows, and you must note the dog on your application. Service animals are allowed throughout the park. Emotional support animals are not service animals and cannot go on trails.
National forests
Forest Service regulation 36 CFR 261.16 requires animals in developed recreation sites, such as campgrounds, picnic areas and reservable day use sites, to be on a leash no longer than six feet. Beyond those sites, leash rules come from local forest orders. The Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness order requires a leash under six feet and bans dogs entirely in part of the Conundrum Creek valley. Dogs are permitted on the Maroon Bells shuttle. See our Maroon Bells permit guide.
Colorado state parks
Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations require dogs and other pets to be under control on a leash no longer than six feet, except in the designated off leash areas at Chatfield and Cherry Creek. Dogs are not allowed on swim beaches. Some parks go further: Roxborough State Park bans dogs entirely, and Castlewood Canyon bans them from its East Canyon area. Check the park before you book a special activity agreement.
Boulder Open Space and city parks
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks requires a leash unless you and your dog are registered in the Voice and Sight tag program and are on a trail that allows it. Registration takes an online course, a rabies certificate and a $75 fee for non Boulder County residents, and can take up to a month, so most visitors should plan on a leash. Sunrise Amphitheater allows dogs on leash or under Voice and Sight control. City parks, including the Chautauqua lawn, require a leash at all times. Details are in our Boulder elopement permits guide.
Denver Mountain Parks
Denver’s park rules, which cover its mountain parks, say dogs and pets must be on a leash and under physical control at all times, with a six foot limit on trails and park roads. Mountain parks also close from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.
Altitude and kids
The CDC Yellow Book says children are as susceptible to the effects of high elevation as adults, and that slow ascent is the preferable way to avoid acute mountain sickness. Children too young to talk may show only loss of appetite, irritability, unexplained fussiness or changes in sleep. Older kids may complain of headache or shortness of breath. If a child has unexplained symptoms after going up, descending may be necessary. Sapphire Point sits at 9,514 feet, so spend a night or two lower first and ask your pediatrician before the trip.
Planning a day that works for everyone
- Build around naps and meals. A late morning slot after breakfast often beats a dawn ceremony for a toddler.
- Keep the walk short. Sunrise Amphitheater’s path is about 200 feet, and the trails next to Maroon Lake are flat and stroller friendly, per Recreation.gov. Sapphire Point has no restrooms.
- Bring a helper. A grandparent or sitter who takes the kids or the dog during portraits frees you to focus. In RMNP, where dogs cannot go on trails, someone has to stay with the dog.
- Give the kids a job. Ring bearer, a short reading, or a hand print on a keepsake certificate.
- Mind the shuttles. Recreation.gov says vehicles carrying a child under 2 in a car seat are exempt from Maroon Creek Road’s reservation and road restrictions.
Common questions
Can my dog sign my marriage license in Colorado?
No. The Denver and El Paso County clerks refuse paw prints, and no one needs to witness your license anyway. Put the paw on a keepsake copy.
Do kids count toward the RMNP wedding group size?
Yes. The park counts every guest, including infants and young children, along with the officiant and photographer.
Can a child be our witness?
Witnesses are optional in Colorado. A child can stand with you and sign the optional lines. See our self solemnization guide.
Vendors and next steps
Compare sites in the best places to elope in Colorado, then find photographers used to kids and pets, an officiant who keeps it short, or a planner to handle sitters and timing.
Related reading: our guide to vow renewals in Colorado.
