← Back to Ozark National Forest

Drone Rules for Ozark National Forest

Madison County, Arkansas (AR) • United States
Ozark National Forest, Arkansas 72752, USA
Lat: 35.8126 • Lng: -93.5627
Ground Not fully verified Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
Edit rules/place details on map

USFS Ozark NF contains the Upper Buffalo Wilderness and the iconic Buffalo River corridor. The Buffalo National River (NPS) is directly adjacent; dual federal rules apply.

Drone Rules - Ozark NF, Arkansas

Upper Buffalo Wilderness (11,000 acres) prohibits drones as motorized equipment under the Wilderness Act.

Airspace / Site Context

  • The forest borders Buffalo National River (NPS) which bans drones under 36 CFR 1.5 -- crossing the boundary into the river corridor triggers the NPS prohibition
  • Spring float season (March-May): heavy canoe and kayak traffic on the Buffalo; low-altitude UAS creates hazardous wake/noise
  • Harrison Airport (HRO) Class G; Springfield Branson National (SGF) is ~80 NM north

Key Rules

  • Check USFS vs NPS boundary carefully; GPS boundaries available on Avenza Maps for Buffalo NR
  • No commercial UAS without USFS Special Use Permit
  • Paddler congestion at Ponca and Steel Creek accesses is highest in April; avoid those grid squares

Source

Map is not loaded yet
Load the map only when you need to view the rule outline.
This shows the latest mapped outline for this rules page. Click a shape to view its note when available.
Rule sources
Parent Rule Pages