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Drone Rules for Isle Royale National Park
Keweenaw County, Michigan (MI)
• United States
Michigan, USA
Lat: 47.9959 • Lng: -88.9093
Rules Edit History: Isle Royale National Park
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May 29, 2026 1:54 AM
Approved
• Added drone restriction profile for Isle Royale National Park based on NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR § 1.5, Wilderness Act, MBTA Common Loon nesting habitat, and ESA Eastern timber wolf ongoing research population protections.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit for Isle Royale National Park has been approved. The information is accurate and well-supported by official sources, and the outline appropriately matches the selected location. Thank you for your contribution.
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/rules.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations. Wilderness Act, MBTA Common Loon nesting, and ESA Eastern timber wolf active research population protections add multi-layer federal restrictions.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Isle Royale National Park per NPS policy. Wolf and moose populations are protected. | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Isle Royale National Park under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. The most remote national park in the lower 48 states — accessible only by boat or floatplane — Isle Royale protects a roadless wilderne |
Before
## Drone Rules - Isle Royale National Park **Drones are not permitted** in Isle Royale National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights on the island or surrounding park waters - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - The island's wolf-moose predator-prey system is one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world ### Source - Isle Royale NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - Wilderness: ❌ Isle Royale Wilderness absolute motorized ban - Research: ⚠️ Wolf-moose study — active long-term research zone ## Geographic Boundaries Isle Royale National Park is located in Lake Superior, Keweenaw County, Michigan. - Total area: ~571,790 acres (land + surrounding waters) - Coordinates: 47.9954° N, 88.9091° W - Includes Isle Royale island (45 miles long), 400+ smaller islands, Siskiwit Lake, Minong Ridge, and Greenstone Ridge - Isle Royale Wilderness: ~132,018 acres - Access only by ferry from Houghton/Copper Harbor, MI or Grand Portage, MN; or floatplane - Nearest city: Houghton, MI (~73 miles south across Lake Superior) ## 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 - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban - MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Common Loon nesting habitat - ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus) research population; UAS disturbance disrupts ongoing study - 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 - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment - MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per loon disturbance - ESA wolf research disruption: additional federal penalties - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Wolf-moose research: NPS + Michigan Tech University coordination - Wildlife research: USFWS MBTA permits required Submit requests to: Isle Royale NP Superintendent, 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, MI 49931
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+ - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - Wilderness: ❌ Isle Royale Wilderness absolute motorized ban + - Research: ⚠️ Wolf-moose study — active long-term research zone + Isle Royale National Park is located in Lake Superior, + Keweenaw County, Michigan. + - Total area: ~571,790 acres (land + surrounding waters) + - Coordinates: 47.9954° N, 88.9091° W + - Includes Isle Royale island (45 miles long), 400+ smaller islands, + Siskiwit Lake, Minong Ridge, and Greenstone Ridge + - Isle Royale Wilderness: ~132,018 acres + - Access only by ferry from Houghton/Copper Harbor, MI or + Grand Portage, MN; or floatplane + - Nearest city: Houghton, MI (~73 miles south across Lake Superior) + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban + - MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Common Loon nesting habitat + - ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus) + research population; UAS disturbance disrupts ongoing study + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations + - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over park + - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per loon disturbance + - ESA wolf research disruption: additional federal penalties + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + ## Special Permissions + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - Wolf-moose research: NPS + Michigan Tech University coordination + - Wildlife research: USFWS MBTA permits required + Submit requests to: Isle Royale NP Superintendent, + 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, MI 49931
May 27, 2026 11:02 PM
Approved
• Added NPS drone ban for Isle Royale NP with wolf-moose study context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the drone prohibition in Isle Royale National Park, including specific details about the protected wolf-moose predator-prey system.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Isle Royale National Park per NPS policy. Wolf and moose populations are protected. |
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 - Isle Royale National Park **Drones are not permitted** in Isle Royale National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights on the island or surrounding park waters - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - The island's wolf-moose predator-prey system is one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world ### Source - Isle Royale NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/rules.htm
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+ **Drones are not permitted** in Isle Royale National Park. + + ### Key Rules + - No recreational drone flights on the island or surrounding park waters + - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit + - The island's wolf-moose predator-prey system is one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world + + ### Source + - Isle Royale NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/rules.htm - https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
May 27, 2026 10:17 AM
Approved
• Rollback user history: Bad outlines
Moderation feedback
Administrative rollback audit entry.
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Isle Royale National Park per NPS policy. Wolf and moose populations are protected. | 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 | d30b5409-5189-4c4e-919e-be4dba0c1434 | cff83fcc-2973-4c12-a21b-f9024b6b5eef |
Before
## Drone Rules - Isle Royale National Park **Drones are not permitted** in Isle Royale National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights on the island or surrounding park waters - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - The island's wolf-moose predator-prey system is one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world ### Source - Isle Royale NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/isro/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 on the island or surrounding park waters - - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - - The island's wolf-moose predator-prey system is one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world - - ### Source - - Isle Royale NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/rules.htm -
May 25, 2026 10:28 PM
Approved
• Added circle representing national park and associated no fly zone.
Changed fields
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Permission | NoFly |
| Mapped shapes | c48ede55-8abd-44cf-aeda-86d7e4b871b8 | cff83fcc-2973-4c12-a21b-f9024b6b5eef |
Changed fields
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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 | — | c48ede55-8abd-44cf-aeda-86d7e4b871b8 |
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