21 Best Places To Fly Your Drone in Florida [DIRECTIONS INCLUDED]
I recently moved to Florida from South Africa, and I couldn’t wait to start flying my drone. Being new to the area I knew I had to be overly cautious about not flying in the wrong areas. The last thing I wanted was to get into trouble.
So I did my research and found some beautiful hot spots around the state of Florida where you can fly your drone. I even found a spot where you can get some footage of dolphins.
Here’s a summary of the best places you can fly your drone in Florida:
But before I dive into that, I think it’s worth mentioning that just because county or city drone laws allow you to fly your drone at the places below, you need to keep in mind that you still need to stick to FAA drone laws. Here’s a quick summary of FAA drone laws.
Make sure your drone is registered in Florida if it’s 0.55 lbs (250g) and less than 55 lbs (25kg.)
Don’t fly drones over 55 lbs without the appropriate documents.
Do not fly recklessly.
Don’t fly over 400 feet above ground level.
Keep your drone in a straight “line of sight.”
Don’t fly drones close to sensitive areas and over private land.
SPOT 01. Altamonte Springs – Cranes Roost Park – Beautiful lake
Over-all a great area to launch your drone. Apart from standard FAA drone laws, make sure you don’t launch your drone during events. Also, the park tends to be the busiest at around 3 pm. I prefer to go in the mornings. It’s a lot quieter.
Summary of the park:
Scenery: Beautiful view of the lake.
Are there lots of trees around? There are a few trees. Not many.
Access: It’s easy to access the park.
How quiet? It depends on the time you go. Avoid afternoons.
SPOT 03. City of Apopka – Shadow Bay Park – Footage of birdlife and alligators
This area has no power lines, very few people and is very scenic. There’s also a lot of wild-life you’ll be able to film with your drone. Such as birdlife and alligators. Beautiful spot!
Best area? Park at the main office and ask the local rangers. They will point you in the direction of a lake that’s only 5min walk away.
Summary of the park:
Scenery: A lot of birdlife and alligators. Park also includes a lake. Will make for amazing video footage.
Are there lots of trees around? Plenty of trees, however on the lakeside there are fewer trees.
SPOT 05. Florida Keys – Scout Key – Get footage of an old rugged bridge
I found this video on YouTube posted by Brenda. He traveled and flew his drone in three different areas it the keys. In all three locations, it seems like Brenda launched his drone from rest stops. Which is perfectly legal.
Just keep in mind that because of the vast amount of water, you probably don’t want to fly here as a beginner.
The reason why Brenda stopped here is to get some video footage of a cool looking bridge that looks old rugged and broken down that goes into a Bahia honda state park. Make sure you don’t take off or land in the state park though. Launching and landing in state parks for recreation drones are currently not allowed.
Summary of the area:
Scenery: Pretty much what you would expect for the keys. What makes this spot prime is the old rugged bridge.
Are there lots of trees around? NO trees, but plenty of water for your drone to dive in. So be careful if you’re a noob.
Access: It’s easy to access the park. All you have to do is a park in a rest stop.
How quiet? There are a lot of cars that travel up and down the main bridge, however they don’t get in the way.
SPOT 09. Orlando – Barber Park – Perfect for drone training
At the end of the field, there’s a lake that’s very scenic. Also, another tip, get there before the schools close for the day. After school, hours are generally when it gets the busiest.
Summary of the park:
Scenery: This is a community park so not much to see. Apart from a few dams in the distance.
Are there lots of trees around? Very few trees at this park. Great place to do some drone training.
Access: Easy to access since it’s a community park.
How quiet? I can get busy in the afternoon and school holidays. Just try to get your drone there in the mornings.
SPOT 16. St. Petersburg River Tower Park – Water Tower Footage and Drone Racing!
Summary of the park:
Scenery: The Sulphur Springs water tower is the highlight of this park. You should be able to get some great drone footage of the water tower. There’s also a river that runs on the edge of the park.
Are there lots of trees around? Very few trees in this area. I’ve noticed a lot of people do drone racing here.
SPOT 21. Jacksonville – Reddie Point Preserve – Get Video Footage of Dolphins!
Summary of the park:
Scenery: There’s a lot to see at this park. Dolphins show up daily, so if you’re willing to fly your drone over the water you could get some amazing video footage.
Are there lots of trees around? There are a lot of trees. However, there are some patches of the park with very few trees.
Access: Anyone can access.
How quiet? The busiest time seems to be from 1 pm to 5 pm. So try to go in the mornings if you can.
NOTE: I will be updating this list regularly, so make sure you come back! If you have any drone hotspot favorites please send them to me. I would love to add them to this list!