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Drone Rules for Crescent Lake
Apache County, Arizona (AZ)
• United States
Crescent Lake, Arizona 85927, USA
Lat: 33.9097 • Lng: -109.421
Ground
Not allowed
Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
USFS Apache-Sitgreaves NF contains the Blue Range Primitive Area (oldest in the US) where drones are restricted. The forest also hosts Mexican gray wolf reintroduction habitat.
Drone Rules - Apache-Sitgreaves NF, Arizona
Blue Range Primitive Area restricts motorized use; Mexican gray wolf ESA recovery protocols require 1-mile buffer from documented pack activity.
Airspace / Site Context
- The Blue Range Primitive Area predates the Wilderness Act (designated 1933); management parallels Wilderness rules
- Mexican gray wolf (lobos) were reintroduced beginning 1998; USFWS requires operators to maintain 1-mile buffer from pack GPS locations
- Show Low Regional (SOW) Class G; Williams/Flagstaff area airports are ~100 NM west
Key Rules
- Contact USFWS Southwestern Regional office for wolf pack location data before flying in the Blue Range
- USFS Special Use Permit required for commercial operations in the forest
- Afternoon monsoon thunderstorms are severe in the White Mountains July-September
Source
- USFS Apache-Sitgreaves: https://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf
- USFWS Mexican gray wolf: https://www.fws.gov/mexicanwolf