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Drone Rules for Ozark National Forest
Madison County, Arkansas (AR)
• United States
Ozark National Forest, Arkansas 72752, USA
Lat: 35.8126 • Lng: -93.5627
Rules Edit History: Ozark National Forest
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 5:35 AM
Approved
• Added USFS drone advisory for Ozark NF with Upper Buffalo Wilderness and Buffalo National River dual-agency boundary context.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.85
Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations in Ozark National Forest has been approved. This aligns with the U.S. Forest Service's guidelines that prohibit drone operations in designated Wilderness Areas and near sensitive wildlife habitats. The added context about the forest's proximity to Buffalo National River and the need to check agency boundaries enhances the understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | — | 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. |
| Mapped shapes | — | 33fc533e-680c-4f4b-95da-6cd724ab5570 |
Before
After
## 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 - USFS Ozark: https://www.fs.usda.gov/osfnf
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+ ## 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 + - USFS Ozark: https://www.fs.usda.gov/osfnf +