Can You Fly a Drone in a National Park?

The short answer is no, in almost every national park. The National Park Service says its Policy Memorandum 14-05, issued in June 2014 and still in force with a few exceptions, directed every park superintendent to use 36 CFR 1.5 to prohibit launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft on lands and waters the Park Service administers. That applies to recreational and commercial drones alike, and a Part 107 certificate does not change it.

What exactly is prohibited?

Launching, landing and operating a drone on NPS lands and waters. The Park Service lists the reasons: noise and nuisance complaints, visitor safety concerns, and wildlife harassment, along with incidents such as drones crashing into geysers in Yellowstone and being lost over the edge of the Grand Canyon. It also notes that Grand Canyon National Park does not allow recreational drone use by the public.

Where does the restriction end?

At the park boundary. The Park Service says its jurisdiction ends there, and that the policy does not change any FAA rule for the airspace. Two things follow:

• Flying from outside the park is not covered by the NPS rule, but other rules still apply, including FAA airspace rules, any temporary flight restriction and state law.
• Manned aircraft are asked to stay high. The FAA's AIM asks pilots to keep at least 2,000 feet above the surface of national parks and wildlife refuges, and says landing on land or water run by the Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service or the Forest Service needs the agency's authorization.

What about Part 107 pilots on a paid job?

A remote pilot certificate does not override the Park Service's land rules. Any exception has to come from the park itself, so contact the park's permits office well before the job, not on the day.

How do you check before a trip?

1. Read the park's own website for its drone and filming policy.
2. Check B4UFLY or your LAANC app for airspace and TFRs, which the TFR post covers.
3. Look at the sectional chart. National park boundaries and wildlife refuges are charted, as the birds and wildlife post explains.
4. Check state law for the land around the park; the state drone laws guide is a starting point.

The same routine works anywhere, not just near parks: the five-minute pre-flight rules check walks through airspace, the ground you launch from and privacy in order.

The related question of flying over land you do not own is covered in the private property post.

Traveling from abroad with a drone? Start with flying a drone in the US as a visitor.