Drone Rules for White Rock Canyon

Name: White Rock Canyon
Address: White Rock Canyon, New Mexico 88025, USA, Pleasanton, nm, us

Pleasanton, New Mexico (nm) • United States

White Rock Canyon, New Mexico 88025, USA

Lat: 33.1851 • Lng: -108.793

Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 27, 2026

Summary

Drone operations are strictly prohibited in White Rock Canyon within Santa Fe National Forest under USFS regulations, controlled by the U.S. Forest Service. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit USFS Special Use Permit. The canyon's proximity to Los Alamos National Laboratory creates a

Authorization Status

Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFS Special Use Permit
DoE Restricted Zone: ⚠️ Los Alamos National Laboratory airspace overlay

Geographic Boundaries

White Rock Canyon is located in Los Alamos and Sandoval Counties, New Mexico, within Santa Fe National Forest.

Coordinates: 35.8200° N, 106.2000° W
Canyon depth: ~1,000 ft along the Rio Grande
Directly adjacent to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) boundaries
Nearest city: White Rock, NM (~2 miles); Los Alamos, NM (~5 miles)

Regulations

36 CFR § 261.10 — USFS prohibition on motorized equipment in restricted zones
36 CFR § 251.50 — USFS Special Use Permit requirements
DoE/NNSA airspace security zone around LANL — unauthorized UAS near nuclear facility subject to federal prosecution
FAA Temporary Flight Restrictions may apply near LANL per 14 CFR § 91.141
FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide
Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G

Penalties

USFS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 36 CFR § 261.10
DoE/NNSA security violation: federal criminal charges
FAA TFR violation: civil penalties up to $27,500/day
18 U.S.C. § 1030 — unauthorized access to federal facility airspace
Equipment confiscation by USFS rangers and/or LANL security

Special Permissions

USFS Special Use Permit from Española Ranger District
LANL security clearance coordination for any operations near laboratory boundaries Submit requests to: USFS Española Ranger District, 1710 N Riverside Drive, Española, NM 87532

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Rule sources

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-251/section-251.50 — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, DoE/NNSA LANL airspace security zone, FAA TFR framework under 14 CFR § 91.141, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations in White Rock Canyon.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, DoE/NNSA LANL airspace security zone, FAA TFR framework under 14 CFR § 91.141, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations in White Rock Canyon.
https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, DoE/NNSA LANL airspace security zone, FAA TFR framework under 14 CFR § 91.141, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations in White Rock Canyon.
https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, DoE/NNSA LANL airspace security zone, FAA TFR framework under 14 CFR § 91.141, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations in White Rock Canyon.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-261/section-261.10 — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, DoE/NNSA LANL airspace security zone, FAA TFR framework under 14 CFR § 91.141, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations in White Rock Canyon.

Parent Rule Pages

United States
New Mexico
pleasanton
White Rock Canyon