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Drone Rules for Carlsbad Caverns National Park Visitor Center
Carlsbad, New Mexico (nm)
• United States
727 Carlsbad Cavern Hwy, Carlsbad, NM 88220, USA
Lat: 32.1755 • Lng: -104.444
Rules Edit History: Carlsbad Caverns National Park Visitor Center
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May 27, 2026 9:29 PM
Approved
• Added a complete drone restriction profile for Carlsbad Caverns National Park based on NPS 36 CFR § 1.5, § 2.17(a)(3), Cave Resources Protection Act, MBTA bat colony protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit accurately reflects the prohibition of drone operations at Carlsbad Caverns National Park under National Park Service regulations, as supported by official sources. The outline provided is appropriately placed around the park area. This edit is approved.
Sources
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-LX/part-901 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), the Carlsbad Caverns Superintendent's Compendium, Cave Resources Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act bat colony protections ban all drone operations within park boundaries, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-2/section-2.17 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), the Carlsbad Caverns Superintendent's Compendium, Cave Resources Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act bat colony protections ban all drone operations within park boundaries, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), the Carlsbad Caverns Superintendent's Compendium, Cave Resources Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act bat colony protections ban all drone operations within park boundaries, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uaspolicy.htm — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), the Carlsbad Caverns Superintendent's Compendium, Cave Resources Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act bat colony protections ban all drone operations within park boundaries, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), the Carlsbad Caverns Superintendent's Compendium, Cave Resources Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act bat colony protections ban all drone operations within park boundaries, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-1/section-1.5 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), the Carlsbad Caverns Superintendent's Compendium, Cave Resources Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act bat colony protections ban all drone operations within park boundaries, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Carlsbad Caverns National Park under NPS regulations, controlled by the National Park Service. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit from the park superintendent. The park's cave ecosystem and critical bat colony habitat ad |
| Mapped shapes | — | f59d429e-8da4-4d62-b78e-1b52b7684800 |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - UNESCO WHC: ⚠️ Additional heritage protection layer ## Geographic Boundaries Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in Eddy County, New Mexico, in the Guadalupe Mountains. - Total area: ~46,766 acres - Coordinates: 32.1479° N, 104.5567° W - Includes Carlsbad Cavern (over 119 known caves), Natural Entrance, and Big Room (largest cave chamber in North America) - Home to ~400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats (seasonal colony) - Nearest city: Carlsbad, NM (~20 miles southwest) ## 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 within park - Cave Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 4301) — protects cave ecosystems and formations - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects bat flight corridor (May–October evening bat flights) - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G within park ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - Cave Resources Protection Act: fines up to $10,000 + imprisonment - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment per disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - Speleological/scientific research with NPS + CRPA federal permit - Wildlife research requires additional USFWS MBTA permit - Official NPS resource management only Submit requests to: Carlsbad Caverns NP Superintendent, 3225 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM 88220
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+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - UNESCO WHC: ⚠️ Additional heritage protection layer + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in Eddy County, + New Mexico, in the Guadalupe Mountains. + - Total area: ~46,766 acres + - Coordinates: 32.1479° N, 104.5567° W + - Includes Carlsbad Cavern (over 119 known caves), Natural Entrance, + and Big Room (largest cave chamber in North America) + - Home to ~400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats (seasonal colony) + - Nearest city: Carlsbad, NM (~20 miles southwest) + + ## 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 within park + - Cave Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 4301) — protects + cave ecosystems and formations + - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects bat flight + corridor (May–October evening bat flights) + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G within park + + ## Penalties + - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation + - Cave Resources Protection Act: fines up to $10,000 + imprisonment + - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment per disturbance + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + + ## Special Permissions + - Speleological/scientific research with NPS + CRPA federal permit + - Wildlife research requires additional USFWS MBTA permit + - Official NPS resource management only + Submit requests to: Carlsbad Caverns NP Superintendent, + 3225 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM 88220