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Rules for Flying NEAR a national park. USA

C_MavicAir

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Hello, next week I am going to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I am well aware you are not allowed to fly in a NP however can you fly right outside of it? or is there some kind of buffer you must stay back? I checked the flight map and there are no flight restrictions immediately outside of the park but just wanted to double check Thanks!
 
Hello, next week I am going to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I am well aware you are not allowed to fly in a NP however can you fly right outside of it? or is there some kind of buffer you must stay back? I checked the flight map and there are no flight restrictions immediately outside of the park but just wanted to double check Thanks!

I have no local knowledge of it, but on the maps I can see that there are lots of National Forest lands adjacent to it that you should be able to fly from (check that individual National Forest’s rules on their website), but not if it is within a wilderness boundary. Also, you can fly from private inholdings (with permission).

If someone suggests its OK to fly from state highway easements within the park, ask first as some roads and state highways going through NP’s are actually newer than the park and are leased easements on land still owned by the NPS so their rules still apply there too.
 
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Barring any other airspace restrictions, you can fly near and over a national park as long as you do not ot take off, land or control the drone from within park boundaries.
Hello, next week I am going to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I am well aware you are not allowed to fly in a NP however can you fly right outside of it? or is there some kind of buffer you must stay back? I checked the flight map and there are no flight restrictions immediately outside of the park but just wanted to double check Thanks!
 
Flying over a National Park one would be in violation of the NFZ! The NP NFZs are usually extended upward to approximately 2000 feet to also prevent small AC from disturbing the critters. A drone pilot could be outside a NP and launch, but unable to fly over the NP due to the altitude of the NFZ established! The NP does not establish the NFZ, the FAA does as the FAA is the sole source authority of all airspace within the USA via Congressional decree.
 
Hello, next week I am going to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I am well aware you are not allowed to fly in a NP however can you fly right outside of it? or is there some kind of buffer you must stay back? I checked the flight map and there are no flight restrictions immediately outside of the park but just wanted to double check Thanks!

Unless there is something else in the area, yes, you can fly outside a National Park.
I was considering flying Devil's Tower in Wyoming someday.
I planned the mission and was going to try to fly around the tower outside the park using the tower as a POI.
But then I found out an airport built nearby in 2003 (Hulett Municipal Airport W43) was built with the agreement there will be a NFZ 2 miles around the tower September through May and 3 miles June - August.
 
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This what frustrates me. Both AirMap and B4UFLY both of which I have current only show the National Park boundary of Devils Tower as a NFZ.ie all the land involving the park. You can see the airport in question but it shows no warnings or NFZ. Not doubting the info about the airports listing the NFZ just frustrates me it doesn’t show up.

Paul C
 
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Flying over a National Park one would be in violation of the NFZ! The NP NFZs are usually extended upward to approximately 2000 feet to also prevent small AC from disturbing the critters. A drone pilot could be outside a NP and launch, but unable to fly over the NP due to the altitude of the NFZ established! The NP does not establish the NFZ, the FAA does as the FAA is the sole source authority of all airspace within the USA via Congressional decree.

I'm not sure where you got this from, but it's incorrect. The FAA doesn't establish any such thing. You are perhaps referring to AIM 7-4-6 but, firstly, the AIM is not law, it's informational. Secondly, 7-4-6 gives information on USFS, NPS and other agency rules, not FAA rules. In this context it refers both to regulatory requiremements, such as takeoff and landing restrictions, as well as the request to maintain 2000 ft AGL. That's just a request - it's not a NPS rule (as you noted, they don't control airspace) and it's certainly not an FAA rule or NFZ.

7-4-6 (c) calls out the only specific FAA restrictions on flights over a few specific National Parks, and notes that those restrictions are shown on the sectionals, as you would expect.

If you want to confirm that there are no FAA restrictions over National Parks in general you can look at the FAA UAS data website.

7−4−6. Flights Over Charted U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas
a. The landing of aircraft is prohibited on lands or waters administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or U.S. Forest Service without authorization from the respective agency. Exceptions include:
1. When forced to land due to an emergency beyond the control of the operator;
2. At officially designated landing sites; or

3. An approved official business of the Federal Government.
b. Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface of the following: National Parks, Monuments, Seashores, Lakeshores, Recreation Areas and Scenic Riverways administered by the National Park Service, National Wildlife Refuges, Big Game Refuges, Game Ranges and Wildlife Ranges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wilderness and Primitive areas administered by the U.S. Forest Service.
NOTE
FAA Advisory Circular AC 91−36, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Flight Near Noise-Sensitive Areas, defines the surface of a national park area (including parks, forests, primitive areas, wilderness areas, recreational areas, national seashores, national monuments, national lakeshores, and national wildlife refuge and range areas) as: the highest terrain within 2,000 feet laterally of the route of flight, or the upper-most rim of a canyon or valley.
c. Federal statutes prohibit certain types of flight activity and/or provide altitude restrictions over designated U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas. These designated areas, for example: Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Areas, Minnesota; Haleakala National Park, Hawaii; Yosemite National Park, California; and Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, are charted on Sectional Charts.
d. Federal regulations also prohibit airdrops by parachute or other means of persons, cargo, or objects from aircraft on lands administered by the three agencies without authorization from the respective agency. Exceptions include:
1. Emergencies involving the safety of human life; or
2. Threat of serious property loss.
 
I'm not sure where you got this from, but it's incorrect. The FAA doesn't establish any such thing. You are perhaps referring to AIM 7-4-6 but, firstly, the AIM is not law, it's informational. Secondly, 7-4-6 gives information on USFS, NPS and other agency rules, not FAA rules. In this context it refers both to regulatory requiremements, such as takeoff and landing restrictions, as well as the request to maintain 2000 ft AGL. That's just a request - it's not a NPS rule (as you noted, they don't control airspace) and it's certainly not an FAA rule or NFZ.

7-4-6 (c) calls out the only specific FAA restrictions on flights over a few specific National Parks, and notes that those restrictions are shown on the sectionals, as you would expect.

If you want to confirm that there are no FAA restrictions over National Parks in general you can look at the FAA UAS data website.

7−4−6. Flights Over Charted U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas
a. The landing of aircraft is prohibited on lands or waters administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or U.S. Forest Service without authorization from the respective agency. Exceptions include:
1. When forced to land due to an emergency beyond the control of the operator;
2. At officially designated landing sites; or
3. An approved official business of the Federal Government.
b. Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface of the following: National Parks, Monuments, Seashores, Lakeshores, Recreation Areas and Scenic Riverways administered by the National Park Service, National Wildlife Refuges, Big Game Refuges, Game Ranges and Wildlife Ranges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wilderness and Primitive areas administered by the U.S. Forest Service.
NOTE
FAA Advisory Circular AC 91−36, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Flight Near Noise-Sensitive Areas, defines the surface of a national park area (including parks, forests, primitive areas, wilderness areas, recreational areas, national seashores, national monuments, national lakeshores, and national wildlife refuge and range areas) as: the highest terrain within 2,000 feet laterally of the route of flight, or the upper-most rim of a canyon or valley.
c. Federal statutes prohibit certain types of flight activity and/or provide altitude restrictions over designated U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas. These designated areas, for example: Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Areas, Minnesota; Haleakala National Park, Hawaii; Yosemite National Park, California; and Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, are charted on Sectional Charts.
d. Federal regulations also prohibit airdrops by parachute or other means of persons, cargo, or objects from aircraft on lands administered by the three agencies without authorization from the respective agency. Exceptions include:
1. Emergencies involving the safety of human life; or
2. Threat of serious property loss.
Ok, thank you. It has always been my understanding that NPS sites were under the umbrella of the FAA for flight restrictions. Thank you for clarifying that. Since there are no NFZs over NPS, how are drone flights over NPS handled then? Could one literally take off in lands outside the park and fly over, legally? It seems that one could, since the 2000 AGL is only a request! Any idea how that would be handled?
 
Ok, thank you. It has always been my understanding that NPS sites were under the umbrella of the FAA for flight restrictions. Thank you for clarifying that. Since there are no NFZs over NPS, how are drone flights over NPS handled then? Could one literally take off in lands outside the park and fly over, legally? It seems that one could, since the 2000 AGL is only a request! Any idea how that would be handled?
Yes you can do this legally. Park rangers have been known to assist fliers by informing them of the boundaries so they'd know where to take off from to fly over a national park. Of course, many national parks are so large this becomes impractical but for a small park, it's quite useful!
 
Unless there is something else in the area, yes, you can fly outside a National Park.
I was considering flying Devil's Tower in Wyoming someday.
I planned the mission and was going to try to fly around the tower outside the park using the tower as a POI.
But then I found out an airport built nearby in 2003 (Hulett Municipal Airport W43) was built with the agreement there will be a NFZ 2 miles around the tower September through May and 3 miles June - August.
For what it's worth, Devil's Tower is a National Monument, not a national park. Verify the rules affecting drone flying in national mons.
 
For what it's worth, Devil's Tower is a National Monument, not a national park. Verify the rules affecting drone flying in national mons.

Devils Tower may be a National Monument.
However, it is controlled by NPS so it falls under the rules of National Parks.
1.jpg
 
Ok, thank you. It has always been my understanding that NPS sites were under the umbrella of the FAA for flight restrictions. Thank you for clarifying that. Since there are no NFZs over NPS, how are drone flights over NPS handled then? Could one literally take off in lands outside the park and fly over, legally? It seems that one could, since the 2000 AGL is only a request! Any idea how that would be handled?
as SAR104 points out, some National Parks do have FAA overflight restrictions and they are not requests. One really has to go to the source to see the Restrictions - an FAA sectional map. Always check sectionals when in doubt. Take Grand Canyon NP for example:

EFBCC31E-8646-4D72-A3A7-253E10D31FB0.jpeg
D3565149-E49E-4F58-AD7B-D2D9C81CC4AE.png
 
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Devils Tower may be a National Monument.
However, it is controlled by NPS so it falls under the rules of National Parks.
View attachment 83070
The rules are the same for national parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, wilderness areas, national seashores, etc. Except for the few mentioned above that have specific FAA rules as well.
 
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The rules are the same for national parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, wilderness areas, national seashores, etc. Except for the few mentioned above that have specific FAA rules as well.

Not so much for National Recreation Areas.
Case in point, Mt. Charleston in Nevada.
It is a National Recreation Area but can be flown within - with the exception of 3 NFZ.
 
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The rules are the same for national parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, wilderness areas, national seashores, etc. Except for the few mentioned above that have specific FAA rules as well.

National seashores can have specific rules too- e.g. much of the Central California coastline has a no flights “recommended” below 2000-ft AGL, but it also includes a required 1000 foot AGL restriction over certain areas within the marine sanctuaries along the coast of Monterey Bay, Channel Islands, the Gulf of the Farallones in California, and Washington’s Olympic Coastline. This regulation is enforced jointly by FAA and NOAA.


It’s really important for people to check FAA sectionals as well as the Apps for flight clearance.
 
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Not so much for National Recreation Areas.
Case in point, Mt. Charleston in Nevada.
It is a National Recreation Area but can be flown within - with the exception of 3 NFZ.
Good to know... I thought they all were treated the same. Nice to hear there are positive exceptions!
 
Good to know... I thought they all were treated the same. Nice to hear there are positive exceptions!

The park rangers were extremely helpful sending me maps and other related info.
It allowed me to capture this:
 
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