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Drone Rules for San Francisco Peaks

Coconino County, Arizona (AZ) • Estados Unidos
San Francisco Peaks, Arizona 86001, EUA
Lat: 35.3467 • Lng: -111.678
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
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Drones banned in San Francisco Peaks Wilderness under USFS rules. No flights without Special Use Permit and FAA Class D (FLG) authorization. Sacred to 13 tribal nations. Contains Humphreys Peak — highest point in Arizona at 12,633 ft MSL.

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned (wilderness and special mgmt areas)
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ USFS Special Use Permit required
  • Airspace: ⚠️ Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) Class D — ATC authorization mandatory for operations near Flagstaff
  • Sacred Site Layer: ⚠️ AIRFA — sacred to 13 tribal nations; among the most legally protected sacred landscapes in the U.S.
  • Wilderness Layer: ⚠️ Kachina Peaks Wilderness ~18,960 acres

Geographic Boundaries

San Francisco Peaks are located in Coconino County, Arizona, administered by Coconino National Forest, USFS.

  • Total area: ~1,856,236 acres (entire Coconino NF)
  • Coordinates: 35.3464° N, 111.6780° W (Humphreys Peak summit)
  • Nearest city: Flagstaff, AZ (~10 miles south)
  • Nearest airport: Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) ~8 miles south
  • Terrain: San Francisco Volcanic Field; Humphreys Peak (12,633 ft MSL — highest point in Arizona); Agassiz Peak (12,356 ft); Fremont Peak (11,969 ft); Kachina Peaks Wilderness; Arizona Snowbowl ski area on southwest slopes
  • Sacred to 13 tribal nations including Hopi, Navajo Nation, Havasupai, Hualapai, Yavapai, Apache, Zuni, and others — more tribal nations assert sacred affiliation to San Francisco Peaks than any other single landscape in Arizona
  • Hopi: Nuvatukya'ovi — home of Kachina spirits; most sacred site in Hopi cosmology
  • Navajo: Dook'o'oosłííd — one of four Sacred Mountains defining Diné Bikéyah homeland
  • Kachina Peaks Wilderness: ~18,960 acres designated 1984
  • Active volcanic field — most recent eruption ~1064 CE (Sunset Crater); geologically active system
  • Flagstaff Class D airspace (FLG) overlaps lower slopes
  • Airspace: Class D (FLG) lower elevations; Class E above; high-density-altitude above 10,000 ft MSL

Regulations

  • 36 CFR § 261.10 — prohibits unauthorized aircraft use in National Forest wilderness and Special Management Areas
  • 36 CFR § 251.50 — Special Use authorization requirements
  • Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — Kachina Peaks Wilderness ~18,960 acres; motorized/mechanized prohibition
  • American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. § 1996) — 13 tribal nations with active sacred site relationships; San Francisco Peaks is the most multiply-affiliated sacred landscape in Arizona; drone overflight constitutes direct AIRFA violation for all 13 nations simultaneously
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107.41 — Flagstaff Class D (FLG); ATC authorization mandatory for lower slope operations
  • 14 CFR § 91.137 — TFR authority for volcanic/geothermal hazard; San Francisco Volcanic Field active system
  • Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — Sinagua and ancestral Puebloan sites throughout forest
  • Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Mexican spotted owl; northern goshawk; peregrine falcon nesting
  • Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Mexican spotted owl critical habitat in old-growth spruce-fir forest zones
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide

Penalties

  • USFS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 36 CFR § 261.10
  • Wilderness Act violations: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months
  • AIRFA violations: federal civil penalties; DOJ referral possible for violations affecting 13 tribal sacred interests
  • FAA Class D violation: civil penalties up to $27,500/day
  • ESA Section 9 (spotted owl): civil penalties up to $25,000; criminal up to $50,000 + 1 year imprisonment
  • ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment
  • MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months
  • Equipment confiscation by USFS rangers

Special Permissions

  • USFS Special Use Permit required; 13-tribe AIRFA consultation recommended before any permit application
  • FAA Class D ATC authorization required for lower slope ops
  • ESA Section 7 biological assessment required for spotted owl old-growth habitat zones
  • High-density-altitude performance analysis required above 10,000 ft MSL Submit requests to: Coconino National Forest Supervisor, 1824 S Thompson Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 FAA LAANC: https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/data_exchange
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Rule sources
  • https://www.fws.gov/media/unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-policy — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-251/section-251.50 — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/data_exchange — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1510/arpa.htm — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-261/section-261.10 — USFS 36 CFR § 261.10, Wilderness Act Kachina Peaks (16 U.S.C. § 1131), AIRFA 13-tribe sacred affiliation (42 U.S.C. § 1996), FAA Class D FLG authorization, ESA spotted owl critical habitat (16 U.S.C. § 1531), TFR volcanic authority 14 CFR § 91.137, and ARPA Sinagua site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
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