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Drone Rules for Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky (KY) • United States
Kentucky, USA
Lat: 37.199 • Lng: -86.1156
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Mammoth Cave National Park under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. Home to the world's longest known cave system (400+ miles), the park enforces Cave Resources Protection Act restrictions across the en

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
  • CRPA: ⚠️ World's longest cave system — surface overflight restrictions
  • UNESCO WHC: ⚠️ World Heritage Site since 1981

Geographic Boundaries

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in Edmonson, Hart, and Barren Counties, Kentucky.

  • Total area: ~54,012 acres
  • Coordinates: 37.1862° N, 86.1003° W
  • Includes Mammoth Cave (400+ miles mapped), Green River, Nolin River, and Flint Ridge cave system
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve
  • Nearest city: Bowling Green, KY (~35 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
  • Cave Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 4301) — protects cave ecosystem, formations, and endemic cave fauna
  • ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) endangered; UAS disturbance of roosting habitat prohibited
  • MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — bat species MBTA protections
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations
  • Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over park

Penalties

  • NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation
  • CRPA: fines up to $10,000 + imprisonment for cave disturbance
  • ESA Section 9 Indiana bat: up to $50,000 + 1 year imprisonment
  • FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day
  • Equipment confiscation by park rangers

Special Permissions

  • NPS Special Use Permit required
  • Cave research: CRPA federal authorization required
  • Indiana bat research: ESA Section 10 ITP + USFWS coordination Submit requests to: Mammoth Cave NP Superintendent, 1 Mammoth Cave Pkwy, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
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