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Drone Rules for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska (AK)
• United States
Alaska, USA
Lat: 60.9234 • Lng: -142.734
Rules Edit History: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
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May 28, 2026 2:16 PM
Approved
• Added a complete drone restriction profile for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve based on NPS 36 CFR § 1.5, § 2.17(a)(3), Wilderness Act, ANILCA, NHPA Kennecott protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.90
Your proposed edit has been approved. The information about the prohibition of drone operations at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve is accurate and well-supported by official sources. The outline you provided appropriately matches the selected location. Thank you for your contribution.
Sources
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-L/part-13 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, ANILCA Alaska-specific provisions (16 U.S.C. § 3101), NHPA Kennecott NHS protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within park boundaries.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-2/section-2.17 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, ANILCA Alaska-specific provisions (16 U.S.C. § 3101), NHPA Kennecott NHS protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within park boundaries.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, ANILCA Alaska-specific provisions (16 U.S.C. § 3101), NHPA Kennecott NHS protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within park boundaries.
- https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uaspolicy.htm — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, ANILCA Alaska-specific provisions (16 U.S.C. § 3101), NHPA Kennecott NHS protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within park boundaries.
- https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, ANILCA Alaska-specific provisions (16 U.S.C. § 3101), NHPA Kennecott NHS protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within park boundaries.
- https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/rules.htm
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-1/section-1.5 — NPS regulations under 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, ANILCA Alaska-specific provisions (16 U.S.C. § 3101), NHPA Kennecott NHS protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within park boundaries.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest US national park. No recreational use allowed. | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve 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. As the largest national park in the United Stat |
Before
## Drone Rules - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park **Drone flights are banned** in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - The largest US national park (larger than Switzerland) protects massive glaciers, Dall sheep, and remote wilderness ### Source - Wrangell-St. Elias NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - Wilderness: ❌ Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness absolute motorized ban - UNESCO WHC: ⚠️ Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini transboundary World Heritage Site ## Geographic Boundaries Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve is located in Copper River, Valdez-Cordova, and Southeast Fairbanks Census Areas, Alaska. - Total area: ~13,175,901 acres (largest U.S. national park) - Coordinates: 61.7106° N, 142.9856° W - Includes Mount St. Elias (18,008 ft MSL — second highest peak in U.S.), Bagley Icefield, Malaspina Glacier (largest piedmont glacier in North America), and Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark - International border with Canada (Yukon Territory) - Nearest city: Glennallen, AK (~7 miles from park boundary) ## 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) — ~9.1 million acres of designated wilderness within park - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA, 16 U.S.C. § 3101) — governs subsistence access and resource management in Alaska NPS units - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — Kennecott Mines NHL protections - International border proximity — CBP coordination required - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class E above 1,200 ft AGL; surface Class G within park ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - Wilderness Act penalties for motorized equipment violations - ANILCA subsistence zone violation penalties - NHPA penalties for Kennecott NHS disturbance - CBP penalties for unauthorized border zone operations - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Scientific/glaciological research with NPS + USGS approval - Mountaineering operations require separate NPS climbing permit - ANILCA subsistence research requires tribal coordination Submit requests to: Wrangell-St. Elias NP Superintendent, Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway, PO Box 439, Copper Center, AK 99573
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+ - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - Wilderness: ❌ Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness absolute motorized ban + - UNESCO WHC: ⚠️ Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini + transboundary World Heritage Site + Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve is located in Copper + River, Valdez-Cordova, and Southeast Fairbanks Census Areas, Alaska. + - Total area: ~13,175,901 acres (largest U.S. national park) + - Coordinates: 61.7106° N, 142.9856° W + - Includes Mount St. Elias (18,008 ft MSL — second highest peak in U.S.), + Bagley Icefield, Malaspina Glacier (largest piedmont glacier in North America), + and Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark + - International border with Canada (Yukon Territory) + - Nearest city: Glennallen, AK (~7 miles from park boundary) + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — ~9.1 million acres of + designated wilderness within park + - Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA, + 16 U.S.C. § 3101) — governs subsistence access and resource + management in Alaska NPS units + - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — + Kennecott Mines NHL protections + - International border proximity — CBP coordination required + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + - Airspace: Class E above 1,200 ft AGL; surface Class G within park + - Wilderness Act penalties for motorized equipment violations + - ANILCA subsistence zone violation penalties + - NHPA penalties for Kennecott NHS disturbance + - CBP penalties for unauthorized border zone operations + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + ## Special Permissions + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - Scientific/glaciological research with NPS + USGS approval + - Mountaineering operations require separate NPS climbing permit + - ANILCA subsistence research requires tribal coordination + Submit requests to: Wrangell-St. Elias NP Superintendent, + Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway, PO Box 439, Copper Center, AK 99573
May 27, 2026 11:13 PM
Approved
• Added NPS drone ban for Wrangell-St. Elias NP with size and glacier context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.90
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the drone prohibition in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, including specific details about the park's size and protected areas.
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 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest US national park. No recreational use allowed. |
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 - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park **Drone flights are banned** in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - The largest US national park (larger than Switzerland) protects massive glaciers, Dall sheep, and remote wilderness ### Source - Wrangell-St. Elias NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/rules.htm
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+ **Drone flights are banned** in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. + + ### Key Rules + - No recreational drone flights within the park + - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit + - The largest US national park (larger than Switzerland) protects massive glaciers, Dall sheep, and remote wilderness + + ### Source + - Wrangell-St. Elias NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/wrst/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
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | NoFly | Permission |
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest US national park. 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 | 3e96f7c3-bf2f-4d83-965e-974b63fcf2d6 | a1212f8d-e526-48b9-ba67-0c03088afe10 |
Before
## Drone Rules - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park **Drone flights are banned** in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - The largest US national park (larger than Switzerland) protects massive glaciers, Dall sheep, and remote wilderness ### Source - Wrangell-St. Elias NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/wrst/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 - - The largest US national park (larger than Switzerland) protects massive glaciers, Dall sheep, and remote wilderness - - ### Source - - Wrangell-St. Elias NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/wrst/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 | — | a1212f8d-e526-48b9-ba67-0c03088afe10 |
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