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Drone Rules for Chaco Culture National Historical Park Visitor Center

Nageezi, New Mexico (nm) • United States
1808 County Road 7950, Nageezi, NM 87037, USA
Lat: 36.0303 • Lng: -107.911
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 27, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Chaco Culture National Historical 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. Chaco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most a

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
  • Archaeological Layer: ⚠️ ARPA + NHPA active — 4,000+ documented archaeological sites
  • Tribal Layer: ⚠️ Multi-tribal cultural affiliation — Pueblo, Navajo Nation, Hopi
  • UNESCO Layer: ⚠️ World Heritage Site — multi-agency review required for any permit

Geographic Boundaries

Chaco Culture National Historical Park is located in San Juan County, New Mexico, administered by the National Park Service.

  • Total area: ~33,960 acres
  • Coordinates: 36.0608° N, 107.9616° W
  • Nearest city: Farmington, NM (~95 miles northwest); Grants, NM (~95 miles southeast)
  • Terrain: canyon system containing 12 major great houses including Pueblo Bonito (the largest prehistoric structure in North America), 4,000+ archaeological sites, and an ancient road network spanning hundreds of miles
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987
  • Culturally affiliated tribes: Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Laguna, Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Zuni Tribe, and 18 additional Pueblo nations
  • Access only via 21 miles of unpaved road; no services within park
  • Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G

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
  • Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — 4,000+ documented sites; any disturbance triggers federal criminal prosecution
  • National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — entire park is a National Historic Landmark District; UNESCO designation adds international framework
  • Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. § 3001) — protects human remains and funerary objects throughout site
  • American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. § 1996) — protects ceremonial and sacred landscape from intrusion
  • Navajo Nation Tribal Code — Navajo Nation lands adjacent to park boundaries
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide

Penalties

  • NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation
  • Misdemeanor charges under 36 CFR § 1.3
  • ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment (first offense); up to $100,000 + 5 years (second offense)
  • NAGPRA violations: federal criminal prosecution
  • FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day
  • Criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 32 for willful violations
  • Equipment confiscation by NPS rangers

Special Permissions

  • NPS Special Use Permit required; UNESCO World Heritage status triggers multi-agency review process (NPS + State Dept coordination)
  • ARPA federal research permit + tribal consultation with all 20 affiliated tribes required for any subsurface or close-range documentation
  • NAGPRA consultation required before any permit involving ancestral areas
  • Navajo Nation permit required for operations within adjacent tribal lands Submit requests to: Chaco Culture NHP Superintendent, PO Box 220, Nageezi, NM 87037 Navajo Nation permits: https://www.navajonationparks.org/permits/
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Rule sources
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-2/section-2.17 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), ARPA archaeological protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa), NHPA UNESCO World Heritage designation (54 U.S.C. § 300101), NAGPRA protections (25 U.S.C. § 3001), multi-tribal cultural affiliation, and Navajo Nation tribal sovereignty ban all unauthorized drone operations, 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), ARPA archaeological protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa), NHPA UNESCO World Heritage designation (54 U.S.C. § 300101), NAGPRA protections (25 U.S.C. § 3001), multi-tribal cultural affiliation, and Navajo Nation tribal sovereignty ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1510/arpa.htm — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), ARPA archaeological protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa), NHPA UNESCO World Heritage designation (54 U.S.C. § 300101), NAGPRA protections (25 U.S.C. § 3001), multi-tribal cultural affiliation, and Navajo Nation tribal sovereignty ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uaspolicy.htm — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), ARPA archaeological protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa), NHPA UNESCO World Heritage designation (54 U.S.C. § 300101), NAGPRA protections (25 U.S.C. § 3001), multi-tribal cultural affiliation, and Navajo Nation tribal sovereignty ban all unauthorized drone operations, 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), ARPA archaeological protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa), NHPA UNESCO World Heritage designation (54 U.S.C. § 300101), NAGPRA protections (25 U.S.C. § 3001), multi-tribal cultural affiliation, and Navajo Nation tribal sovereignty ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
  • https://www.navajonationparks.org/permits/ — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), ARPA archaeological protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa), NHPA UNESCO World Heritage designation (54 U.S.C. § 300101), NAGPRA protections (25 U.S.C. § 3001), multi-tribal cultural affiliation, and Navajo Nation tribal sovereignty ban all unauthorized drone operations, 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), ARPA archaeological protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa), NHPA UNESCO World Heritage designation (54 U.S.C. § 300101), NAGPRA protections (25 U.S.C. § 3001), multi-tribal cultural affiliation, and Navajo Nation tribal sovereignty ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
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