State parks are beautiful locations to get some great drone footage. But are you legally allowed to fly in them?
Since park boundaries and rules apply to park airspace, you are allowed to fly your drone OVER a state park. However, if you want to take off or land in a state park then it depends on the state that you’re visiting. The best way to know in this case is to call a park ranger.
Most state parks probably won’t let you take off your drone or land, however, it’s perfectly legal to fly over a state park.
Keep reading to see what the law says about all this.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article it’s perfectly legal to fly your drone over a state park. As long as you don’t take off or land within park borders. It’s not just legal, but it’s common practice. Most hobbyists will find a suitable spot right on the park border, then launch from there.
How can I be so sure about this? Well, because state parks have said it on their own park rules page. Here’s a perfect example of North Carolinas state park rules page; https://www.ncparks.gov/park-rules
Notice that under the drone rules section they state “Park visitors are prohibited from ascending or taking-off within or upon any state park area.“
Some websites might word this differently. For example, some state park websites will just say that “you can’t fly a drone” without further explanation. But this doesn’t change anything. The law stays the same.
The bottom line, you’re allowed to fly your drone over state parks across the U.S.
If you’re planning to take off and land outside of the park, and fly your drone over the park, you could still get into some serious trouble if you fly like a maniac. Here’s a list of rules you need to be wary of that might still get you in trouble.
A great summary of the above is just to fly as carefully as possible, and stay respectful. As long as you do this you shouldn’t get the wrong type of attention, which would equate to a great day with plenty of amazing drone footage!
Some park rangers might not even be aware of this rule. So don’t be surprised if a park ranger questions you. If they do, don’t freak out and don’t cause an argument. Remember, you’re not doing anything wrong.
Respectfully let them know that the law states that what you’re doing is perfectly legal.
That being said, don’t give them a reason to want to approach you. If you fly recklessly or break any FAA regulations, legally they can still report you to the relevant authorities.
Some state parks welcome drones, other parks despise them. It all depends on how they view drones and their experiences with drones in the past. At the end of the day, it’s up to the park manager if they will allow it or not.
So the best way to know is to simply ask them.
IMPORTANT: Don’t rely on signs and boards at state parks. A lot of them have not been updated with drone laws.
There are a few ways you can do this, the first method is obvious. Check their website and find the park rules page.
Notice how in the above example they state “Park visitors are prohibited from ascending or taking-off within or upon any state park area…” This is a perfect example where you would rather want to take off and land outside of the park.
Some state park websites might be a bit outdated and show nothing about drones. So what do you do in the case?
The best thing to do is call the administrative or PR offices before your trip. If you’re already at the park then you can also speak to a park ranger.
INSIDER TIP: This might seem small but it could make a HUGE difference. When you speak to a ranger, or any staff, rather tell them you want to fly your “remote control airplane.” The word “drone” has got such a bad stigma attached to it especially for park rangers.
I’ll be honest, there are some valid reasons why most state parks don’t allow drones. It all usually starts with a few rebellious drone pilots that have been reckless in the past. Unfortunately, it’s one of those cases where a handful of people ruins it for the majority of us, but I won’t go too much into that. Here are their listed reasons:
Just because you can’t take off or land in a state park, doesn’t mean you can’t fly over them. Just make sure you fly safe, and remain respectful to others around you.
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