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Drone Rules for Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad, New Mexico (NM)
• United States
Carlsbad, NM 88220, USA
Lat: 32.137 • Lng: -104.544
Rules Edit History: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
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Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 11:51 AM
Approved
• Added NPS 36 CFR 1.5 drone prohibition for Carlsbad Caverns NP with 400,000 bat colony MBTA protection, Lechuguilla Cave, and KCNM Class D adjacency.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition in Carlsbad Caverns National Park has been approved. This aligns with National Park Service regulations, which prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft in the park to protect public safety, minimize visitor-use conflicts, and prevent unacceptable impacts to scenic values, natural soundscapes, and wildlife. The added context regarding the park's unique features enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Critical bat habitat and cave ecosystem protection. | Carlsbad Caverns National Park prohibits all drone operations under NPS 36 CFR 1.5. The park protects the largest bat colony in North America — up to 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats — and the world's largest known cave chamber. |
| Mapped shapes | 1959bb22-b8db-4927-ba85-6554d58033d4 | be6712fa-87f9-480e-8433-003604d582dc |
Before
## Drone Rules - Carlsbad Caverns National Park **Drones are not allowed** in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit from park administration - Brazilian free-tailed bat colony of over 400,000 bats is highly sensitive to disturbance ### Source - Carlsbad Caverns Regulations: https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
## Drone Rules - Carlsbad Caverns NP **All drone operations are prohibited** under NPS 36 CFR 1.5. Bat colony disturbance from aerial drone operations would violate MBTA protections and cause severe ecological harm. ### Airspace / Site Context - Cavern City Air Terminal (KCNM) Class D lies ~5 miles north - Park elevation 3,596-6,368 ft MSL in the Guadalupe Mountains - Evening bat flight of 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats is a world-famous natural event - Lechuguilla Cave (restricted scientific cave) sets world records for cave size and formations ### Key Rules - No drone operations within park; bat flight observation areas have strict air-disturbance rules - Brazilian free-tailed bat maternity colony is protected under MBTA - Cave entrance air currents would carry drone noise directly into roosting areas - KCNM Class D LAANC required for Part 107 operations near the airport ### Source - NPS Carlsbad Caverns: https://www.nps.gov/cave
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+ ### Airspace / Site Context + - Cavern City Air Terminal (KCNM) Class D lies ~5 miles north + - Park elevation 3,596-6,368 ft MSL in the Guadalupe Mountains + - Evening bat flight of 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats is a world-famous natural event + - Lechuguilla Cave (restricted scientific cave) sets world records for cave size and formations + ### Key Rules + - KCNM Class D LAANC required for Part 107 operations near the airport ### Source
May 29, 2026 6:15 AM
Approved
• Added NPS drone ban for Carlsbad Caverns with bat colony sensitivity context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit to prohibit drone flights at Carlsbad Caverns National Park has been approved. The prohibition aligns with National Park Service regulations and the park's status as a protected area for wildlife. The added context about the Brazilian free-tailed bat colony enhances the understanding of the restriction. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the park's boundaries.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Mapped shapes | 42c7eef0-6b90-4696-b1d5-30d3c7861501 | 1959bb22-b8db-4927-ba85-6554d58033d4 |
May 28, 2026 2:03 AM
Approved
• Added NPS drone ban for Carlsbad Caverns with bat colony sensitivity context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the prohibition of drone operations in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, emphasizing the protection of its unique cave ecosystem and sensitive bat colonies.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Permission | NoFly |
| Summary | United States National Parks are restricted from taking off, landing, or controlling a drone within the park to those with permission. Which is rare to receive. | Drones are prohibited in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Critical bat habitat and cave ecosystem protection. |
Before
## This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System. https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
After
## Drone Rules - Carlsbad Caverns National Park **Drones are not allowed** in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit from park administration - Brazilian free-tailed bat colony of over 400,000 bats is highly sensitive to disturbance ### Source - Carlsbad Caverns Regulations: https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/rules.htm
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+ **Drones are not allowed** in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. + + ### Key Rules + - No recreational drone flights within the park + - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit from park administration + - Brazilian free-tailed bat colony of over 400,000 bats is highly sensitive to disturbance + + ### Source + - Carlsbad Caverns Regulations: https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/rules.htm - https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
May 27, 2026 10:57 PM
Approved
• Rollback user history: Included broken and wrong link... In every post. Mass edit spam of national parks adding nothing specific.
Moderation feedback
Administrative rollback audit entry.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | NoFly | Permission |
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Carlsbad Caverns National Park per NPS policy. No recreational use allowed. | United States National Parks are restricted from taking off, landing, or controlling a drone within the park to those with permission. Which is rare to receive. |
Before
## Drone Rules - Carlsbad Caverns National Park **Drones are not permitted** in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - Nightly bat flight emergence from the cavern entrance is protected from disturbance ### Source - Carlsbad Caverns NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
## This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System. https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
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+ This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System. - - ### Key Rules - - No recreational drone flights within the park - - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - - Nightly bat flight emergence from the cavern entrance is protected from disturbance - - ### Source - - Carlsbad Caverns NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/rules.htm -
May 27, 2026 10:17 AM
Approved
• Rollback user history: Bad outlines
Moderation feedback
Administrative rollback audit entry.
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | NoFly | Permission |
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Carlsbad Caverns National Park per NPS policy. No recreational use allowed. | United States National Parks are restricted from taking off, landing, or controlling a drone within the park to those with permission. Which is rare to receive. |
| Mapped shapes | 1af11659-fc1e-4742-b151-8db2fcfac300 | 42c7eef0-6b90-4696-b1d5-30d3c7861501 |
Before
## Drone Rules - Carlsbad Caverns National Park **Drones are not permitted** in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - Nightly bat flight emergence from the cavern entrance is protected from disturbance ### Source - Carlsbad Caverns NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
## This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System. https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
Show inline change markers
+ This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System. - - ### Key Rules - - No recreational drone flights within the park - - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - - Nightly bat flight emergence from the cavern entrance is protected from disturbance - - ### Source - - Carlsbad Caverns NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/rules.htm -
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Rule category | — | Ground |
| Flight status | — | Permission |
| Summary | — | United States National Parks are restricted from taking off, landing, or controlling a drone within the park to those with permission. Which is rare to receive. |
| Mapped shapes | — | 42c7eef0-6b90-4696-b1d5-30d3c7861501 |
Before
After
## This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System. https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
Show inline change markers
+ ## + This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System. + + https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm