← Back to Rocky Mountain National Park

Drone Rules for Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park, Colorado (CO) • United States
Colorado, USA
Lat: 40.3428 • Lng: -105.684
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
Edit rules/place details on map

Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Rocky Mountain National Park under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. One of America's most visited national parks, Rocky Mountain protects 415 square miles of alpine wilderness above 12,000 feet with c

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
  • Wilderness: ❌ Rocky Mountain Wilderness absolute motorized ban
  • ESA: ⚠️ Canada lynx threatened — alpine zone restrictions

Geographic Boundaries

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in Larimer and Grand Counties, Colorado, in the Front Range.

  • Total area: ~265,807 acres
  • Coordinates: 40.3428° N, 105.6836° W
  • Includes Trail Ridge Road (12,183 ft — highest continuous paved road in U.S.), Longs Peak (14,259 ft), Bear Lake, and Wild Basin
  • Rocky Mountain Wilderness: ~249,339 acres
  • Nearest city: Estes Park, CO (~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
  • Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban
  • ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) threatened; wolverine (Gulo gulo) candidate species
  • MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Golden Eagle and Peregrine Falcon nesting on alpine cliffs
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations
  • Airspace: Class G; Denver Class B TMA ~65 miles southeast

Penalties

  • NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation
  • Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment
  • ESA Canada lynx: up to $25,000 civil + $50,000 criminal
  • MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per raptor disturbance
  • FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day
  • Equipment confiscation by park rangers

Special Permissions

  • NPS Special Use Permit required
  • Canada lynx research: ESA Section 10 ITP required
  • Raptor nesting blackout: March–August alpine cliff areas Submit requests to: Rocky Mountain NP Superintendent, 1000 US-36, Estes Park, CO 80517
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