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Drone Rules for Muir Woods National Monument

Mill Valley, California (CA) • United States
Mill Valley, CA 94941, USA
Lat: 37.897 • Lng: -122.581
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Muir Woods National Monument under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. Located within San Francisco Class B airspace, this old-growth coastal redwood cathedral — just 12 miles north of San Francisco — re

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
  • Airspace: 🚫 San Francisco Class B (SFO) — most restrictive category
  • ESA: ⚠️ Coho salmon critical habitat in Redwood Creek below

Geographic Boundaries

Muir Woods National Monument is located in Marin County, California, within Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

  • Total area: ~554 acres
  • Coordinates: 37.8970° N, 122.5811° W
  • Includes Cathedral Grove (old-growth coast redwoods up to 258 ft tall and 1,000+ years old), Redwood Creek, and Bohemian Grove
  • Within San Francisco Class B airspace (SFO/OAK/SJC)
  • Nearest city: Mill Valley, CA (~3 miles east)

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
  • FAA Class B Airspace (SFO) — ALL UAS require explicit ATC clearance; LAANC grid cells show 0 ft AGL authorized altitude
  • ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) threatened; Redwood Creek critical habitat
  • MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Marbled murrelet old-growth nesting
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations

Penalties

  • NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation
  • FAA Class B violation: civil penalties up to $27,500/day
    • immediate certificate suspension/revocation
  • ESA Coho salmon: up to $25,000 civil + $50,000 criminal
  • MBTA murrelet: up to $15,000 + 6 months per disturbance
  • Equipment confiscation by park rangers

Special Permissions

  • NPS Special Use Permit required
  • FAA Class B ATC clearance mandatory — no LAANC auto-approval
  • Coho salmon research: ESA Section 10 ITP + NOAA coordination Submit requests to: Muir Woods NM Superintendent, 1 Muir Woods Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941
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Rule sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations. San Francisco Class B airspace (SFO) mandatory ATC clearance, ESA Coho salmon Redwood Creek critical habitat, and MBTA Marbled murrelet old-growth nesting add multi-layer federal restrictions.
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