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Drone Rules for Yellowstone National Park

() • United States
United States
Lat: 44.5979 • Lng: -110.561
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Yellowstone National Park under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. America's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site protects the world's largest geothermal system — with over 10,000 geothe

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned — first park to ban drones (2014)
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
  • UNESCO WHC: ⚠️ World Heritage Site since 1978
  • Geothermal: ⚠️ Active geothermal — TFR risk during major eruptions

Geographic Boundaries

Yellowstone National Park spans Park, Teton, and Gallatin Counties, Wyoming; Gallatin and Park Counties, Montana; and Fremont County, Idaho.

  • Total area: ~2,219,791 acres
  • Coordinates: 44.4280° N, 110.5885° W
  • Includes Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone Caldera (supervolcano), Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Lamar Valley, and Hayden Valley
  • Yellowstone Wilderness proposed: ~1.7 million acres
  • Nearest city: Cody, WY (~53 miles east)

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
  • NHPA (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Gray wolf (Canis lupus) and Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) management zones
  • MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Trumpeter Swan nesting habitat
  • FAA TFR (14 CFR § 91.137) — supervolcano activity TFR risk
  • 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
  • NHPA UNESCO penalties for heritage disturbance
  • ESA wolf/grizzly: up to $50,000 + 1 year per incident
  • MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per swan disturbance
  • FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day
  • Equipment confiscation by park rangers

Special Permissions

  • NPS Special Use Permit required
  • Grizzly/wolf research: ESA Section 10 ITP required
  • Geothermal research: additional NPS scientific review Submit requests to: Yellowstone NP Superintendent, 2 Officers Row, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
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Rule sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations. Yellowstone was first NPS unit to ban drones in 2014. NHPA UNESCO status, ESA gray wolf and grizzly bear management zones, and MBTA Trumpeter Swan protections add multi-layer federal restrictions.
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