← Back to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Drone Rules for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Califórnia (CA) • Estados Unidos
Califórnia, EUA
Lat: 36.6949 • Lng: -118.558
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
Edit rules/place details on map

Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. Home to the world's largest trees by volume and the deepest canyon in the U.S., both parks enforce complete UAS bans across

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
  • Wilderness: ❌ Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness absolute ban

Geographic Boundaries

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are located in Tulare and Fresno Counties, California, in the Sierra Nevada.

  • Total area: ~865,952 acres (combined)
  • Coordinates: 36.4864° N, 118.5658° W
  • Includes General Sherman Tree (largest tree by volume), Kings Canyon (deepest canyon in U.S. — 8,200 ft), Mount Whitney (14,505 ft — highest peak in contiguous U.S.)
  • Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness: ~736,980 acres
  • Nearest city: Three Rivers, CA (~7 miles south)

Regulations

  • NPS Management Policies § 8.2.2 prohibits UAS in all NPS units
  • 36 CFR § 1.5 — Superintendent's closure authority
  • 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) — Prohibits air delivery/retrieval
  • Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban
  • MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — California Spotted Owl and Great Gray Owl critical old-growth habitat
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations
  • Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over parks

Penalties

  • NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation
  • Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment
  • MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per owl disturbance
  • FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day
  • Equipment confiscation by park rangers

Special Permissions

  • NPS Special Use Permit required
  • Scientific research with NPS-approved research permit
  • High-altitude operations above 14,000 ft: additional FAA review Submit requests to: Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP Superintendent, 47050 Generals Highway, Three Rivers, CA 93271
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