← Back to Olympic National Park

Drone Rules for Olympic National Park

Port Angeles, Washington (WA) • United States
3002 Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98362, USA
Lat: 47.8021 • Lng: -123.604

Rules Edit History: Olympic National Park

Showing changes between revisions.
Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 11:43 AM Approved • Added NPS 36 CFR 1.5 drone prohibition for Olympic NP with Northern spotted owl ESA nesting, Marbled murrelet ESA, Elwha salmon recovery, and 73-mile wilderness coast.
Author: be5f5cb8-9839-4827-98b3-c519aa546acc (1118)
Moderation feedback
Approved Confidence: 0.85
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition in Olympic 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.
Sources
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
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. Olympic National Park prohibits all drone operations under NPS 36 CFR 1.5. The park encompasses temperate rainforest, alpine terrain, and 73 miles of wilderness coastline — one of the most ecologically diverse NPS units.
Mapped shapes d6b07366-3ee6-4e7a-99aa-acea1fdab952 a11c2608-6805-4aa6-a7a9-bf5899458d97
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 - Olympic National Park

**All UAS operations are prohibited** under NPS 36 CFR 1.5. The park's diversity across coastal, rainforest, and alpine ecosystems makes wildlife disturbance a complex concern.

### Airspace / Site Context
- William R. Fairchild International Airport (KCLM) Class D near Port Angeles
- Park spans the Olympic Peninsula from sea level to 7,980 ft (Mount Olympus)
- Elwha River dam removal (2011-2014) produced one of the largest salmon recovery projects in history
- Northern spotted owl (ESA threatened) old-growth forest habitat throughout the park

### Key Rules
- No drone operations anywhere in the park including beach and coastal wilderness sections
- Northern spotted owl nesting season restrictions apply February-August
- Marbled murrelet (ESA threatened) nests in old-growth canopy; aerial disturbance prohibited
- Wilderness Act designation over much of the park adds supplemental prohibition

### Source
- NPS Olympic: https://www.nps.gov/olym
Show inline change markers 
+ **All UAS operations are prohibited** under NPS 36 CFR 1.5. The park's diversity across coastal, rainforest, and alpine ecosystems makes wildlife disturbance a complex concern.
+ 
+ ### Airspace / Site Context
+ - William R. Fairchild International Airport (KCLM) Class D near Port Angeles
+ - Park spans the Olympic Peninsula from sea level to 7,980 ft (Mount Olympus)
+ - Elwha River dam removal (2011-2014) produced one of the largest salmon recovery projects in history
+ - Northern spotted owl (ESA threatened) old-growth forest habitat throughout the park
+ 
+ ### Key Rules
+ - No drone operations anywhere in the park including beach and coastal wilderness sections
+ - Northern spotted owl nesting season restrictions apply February-August
+ - Marbled murrelet (ESA threatened) nests in old-growth canopy; aerial disturbance prohibited
+ - Wilderness Act designation over much of the park adds supplemental prohibition
+ 
+ ### Source
+ - NPS Olympic: https://www.nps.gov/olym
  
- 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.
Author: jaystechvault (11074)
Moderation feedback
Administrative rollback audit entry.
Changed fields
Field Before After
Flight status NoFly Permission
Summary Drone use is prohibited in Olympic National Park. No recreational or commercial drone flights without a Special Use Permit. 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 - Olympic National Park


**Drones are not permitted** in Olympic National Park.

### Key Rules
- Recreational drone flights are banned park-wide
- Commercial drone use requires a **Special Use Permit**
- The park's diverse wilderness areas make drone enforcement a priority

### Source
- NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.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
- - Recreational drone flights are banned park-wide
- - Commercial drone use requires a **Special Use Permit**
- - The park's diverse wilderness areas make drone enforcement a priority
- 
- ### Source
- - NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm
-
May 20, 2026 4:43 PM Approved • Manual admin rule: Initial
Author: jaystechvault (11074)
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 — d6b07366-3ee6-4e7a-99aa-acea1fdab952
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