← Back to Cataratas de Havasu

Drone Rules for Cataratas de Havasu

Condado de Coconino, Arizona (AZ) • Estados Unidos
Cataratas de Havasu, Arizona 86435, EUA
Lat: 36.2552 • Lng: -112.698
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
Edit rules/place details on map

Drones banned over Havasupai tribal lands and Havasu Canyon under Havasupai Tribe sovereign authority. No flights without Havasupai tribal authorization. Canyon is 8 miles inside Grand Canyon NPS boundary — dual NPS + tribal jurisdiction. Havasu Falls overflight explicitly prohibited by tribal law.

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ Absolutely prohibited — Havasupai Tribe sovereign authority primary; tribal law explicitly bans drones
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Havasupai Tribe authorization required; also NPS permit required for Grand Canyon corridor
  • Grand Canyon Layer: ⚠️ Havasu Canyon is within Grand Canyon NP boundary; 14 CFR § 93.305 SFRA applies
  • Sacred Site Layer: ⚠️ Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and canyon springs are sacred in Havasupai cosmology

Geographic Boundaries

Havasupai Reservation is located in Coconino County, Arizona, within the Grand Canyon system, administered by Havasupai Tribe.

  • Total area: ~188,077 acres (reservation + traditional use area)
  • Coordinates: 36.2553° N, 112.6977° W (Supai village)
  • Nearest access: Hualapai Hilltop trailhead (~8-mile hike in)
  • Terrain: Havasu Canyon (side canyon of Grand Canyon); Supai village (only mail delivered by mule in U.S.); Havasu Falls (100 ft); Mooney Falls (196 ft); Beaver Falls; Fifty Foot Falls; turquoise-colored Havasu Creek
  • Havasupai Tribe (~700 members) — "People of the Blue-Green Water"; continuous canyon occupation for 800+ years
  • Canyon entirely within Grand Canyon NP boundary — dual NPS
    • tribal jurisdiction applies simultaneously
  • Grand Canyon SFRA (14 CFR § 93.305) covers canyon airspace
  • Havasu Falls — most photographed waterfall in Arizona; tribal law explicitly prohibits drone operations
  • Access only by foot, horse, or helicopter (8-mile trail)
  • Airspace: Grand Canyon SFRA; Class G surface

Regulations

  • Havasupai Tribal Code — sovereign authority; tribal law explicitly prohibits all drone operations in canyon
  • 14 CFR § 93.305 — Grand Canyon SFRA; all aircraft including UAS must comply; canyon is within SFRA boundary
  • NPS Management Policies § 8.2.2 — Grand Canyon NP boundary encompasses canyon; NPS regulations apply concurrently
  • 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) — NPS air delivery/retrieval prohibition
  • American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. § 1996) — Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Havasu Creek springs are sacred water sources in Havasupai cosmology
  • Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. § 3001) — ancestral burial sites in canyon
  • Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — peregrine falcon nesting on canyon walls; zone-tailed hawk
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide

Penalties

  • Havasupai tribal court: immediate equipment confiscation; fines; criminal charges; permanent ban from reservation
  • Grand Canyon SFRA violation: FAA civil penalties up to $27,500/day + certificate suspension or revocation
  • NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation (Grand Canyon boundary)
  • AIRFA violations: federal civil penalties
  • NAGPRA violations: federal criminal prosecution
  • MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months
  • Equipment confiscation by tribal rangers and NPS rangers

Special Permissions

  • Havasupai Tribe authorization is the primary pathway; NPS Grand Canyon permit also required given SFRA boundary
  • Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, Beaver Falls: NO permit pathway under tribal law; absolute prohibition
  • SFRA compliance plan required for any Grand Canyon NP corridor operations Submit requests to: Havasupai Tribe Tourism Office, PO Box 10, Supai, AZ 86435 Grand Canyon NP: PO Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
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
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-2/section-2.17 — Havasupai tribal sovereignty with explicit drone prohibition, Grand Canyon SFRA 14 CFR § 93.305, NPS 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) concurrent Grand Canyon boundary jurisdiction, AIRFA Havasu Falls and canyon spring sacred water source protections, NAGPRA canyon burial protections, and MBTA peregrine falcon nesting ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — Havasupai tribal sovereignty with explicit drone prohibition, Grand Canyon SFRA 14 CFR § 93.305, NPS 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) concurrent Grand Canyon boundary jurisdiction, AIRFA Havasu Falls and canyon spring sacred water source protections, NAGPRA canyon burial protections, and MBTA peregrine falcon nesting ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uaspolicy.htm — Havasupai tribal sovereignty with explicit drone prohibition, Grand Canyon SFRA 14 CFR § 93.305, NPS 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) concurrent Grand Canyon boundary jurisdiction, AIRFA Havasu Falls and canyon spring sacred water source protections, NAGPRA canyon burial protections, and MBTA peregrine falcon nesting ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — Havasupai tribal sovereignty with explicit drone prohibition, Grand Canyon SFRA 14 CFR § 93.305, NPS 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) concurrent Grand Canyon boundary jurisdiction, AIRFA Havasu Falls and canyon spring sacred water source protections, NAGPRA canyon burial protections, and MBTA peregrine falcon nesting ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp — Havasupai tribal sovereignty with explicit drone prohibition, Grand Canyon SFRA 14 CFR § 93.305, NPS 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) concurrent Grand Canyon boundary jurisdiction, AIRFA Havasu Falls and canyon spring sacred water source protections, NAGPRA canyon burial protections, and MBTA peregrine falcon nesting ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
Parent Rule Pages