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Drone Rules for Joshua Tree National Park
California (CA)
• United States
California, USA
Lat: 33.8734 • Lng: -115.901
Rules Edit History: Joshua Tree National Park
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May 28, 2026 11:35 PM
Approved
• Added drone restriction profile for Joshua Tree National Park based on NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR § 1.5, Wilderness Act, ESA Section 9 desert tortoise protections, and MCAGCC Twentynine Palms adjacent military airspace restrictions.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit to the drone restriction profile for Joshua Tree National Park is 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/jotr/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations within Joshua Tree National Park. Wilderness Act, ESA desert tortoise protections, and adjacent MCAGCC military airspace add additional restriction layers.
- https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/things-to-know.htm
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| 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. | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Joshua Tree 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. Located at the convergence of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, the |
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
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - Military: ⚠️ MCAGCC Twentynine Palms restricted airspace adjacent ## Geographic Boundaries Joshua Tree National Park is located in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, California. - Total area: ~795,156 acres - Coordinates: 33.8734° N, 115.9010° W - Includes Hidden Valley, Skull Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden, Keys View (5,185 ft), and Cottonwood Springs - Adjacent to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms (largest USMC base) - Joshua Tree Wilderness: ~585,040 acres - Nearest city: Twentynine Palms, CA (~5 miles north) ## 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 - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban - Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) threatened; Mojave fringe-toed lizard - Military airspace: R-2507 and MOA areas adjacent to park - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class G within park; military operations area adjacent ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment - ESA Section 9: up to $50,000 + 1 year per desert tortoise incident - Military airspace violation: federal criminal prosecution - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - ESA Section 10 ITP for desert tortoise zone research - Military airspace coordination for eastern park boundary operations Submit requests to: Joshua Tree NP Superintendent, 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
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+ - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - Military: ⚠️ MCAGCC Twentynine Palms restricted airspace adjacent + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Joshua Tree National Park is located in Riverside and + San Bernardino Counties, California. + - Total area: ~795,156 acres + - Coordinates: 33.8734° N, 115.9010° W + - Includes Hidden Valley, Skull Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden, + Keys View (5,185 ft), and Cottonwood Springs + - Adjacent to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms (largest USMC base) + - Joshua Tree Wilderness: ~585,040 acres + - Nearest city: Twentynine Palms, CA (~5 miles north) + + ## 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 + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban + - Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — desert tortoise + (Gopherus agassizii) threatened; Mojave fringe-toed lizard + - Military airspace: R-2507 and MOA areas adjacent to park + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + - Airspace: Class G within park; military operations area adjacent + + ## Penalties + - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation + - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - ESA Section 9: up to $50,000 + 1 year per desert tortoise incident + - Military airspace violation: federal criminal prosecution + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - ESA Section 10 ITP for desert tortoise zone research + - Military airspace coordination for eastern park boundary operations + Submit requests to: Joshua Tree NP Superintendent, + 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
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.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | NoFly | Permission |
| Summary | Drones are not permitted in Joshua Tree National Park. All recreational drone use is banned by NPS closure order. | 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 - Joshua Tree National Park **Drone flights are prohibited** in Joshua Tree National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights inside the park boundary - Commercial media requires a Special Use Permit from park admin - Night skies, wildlife, and rock climbers make drones particularly disruptive here ### Source - Joshua Tree Things to Know: https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/things-to-know.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 inside the park boundary - - Commercial media requires a Special Use Permit from park admin - - Night skies, wildlife, and rock climbers make drones particularly disruptive here - - ### Source - - Joshua Tree Things to Know: https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/things-to-know.htm -
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| 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 | — | fda3f4ac-887a-4b32-adfc-9e30d724097a |
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
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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. + + https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm