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Drone Rules for Black Hills National Forest

Pennington County, South Dakota (SD) • United States
Black Hills National Forest, West Pennington, SD 57745, USA
Lat: 43.9166 • Lng: -103.667
Ground Not fully verified Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
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USFS Black Hills NF has no Wilderness designation but surrounds Mount Rushmore NMS and Jewel Cave NM. NPS drone bans apply at both monuments; forest airspace also overlaps Ellsworth AFB MOAs.

Drone Rules - Black Hills NF, South Dakota

No Wilderness prohibition in the national forest, but adjacent NPS units ban drones, and military airspace is a major factor.

Airspace / Site Context

  • Mount Rushmore NMS and Jewel Cave NM are entirely within or immediately adjacent to the forest; NPS 36 CFR 1.5 no-fly applies at both
  • Ellsworth AFB (RCA) Class D is ~25 NM east; MOA airspace (Warning Areas, Restricted Areas) overlaps portions of the forest -- check sectional carefully
  • Rapid City Regional (RAP) Class C is ~8 NM east of Keystone; active commercial traffic to Mount Rushmore area

Key Rules

  • Confirm you are not over NPS land at Mount Rushmore or Jewel Cave before launching
  • Check Ellsworth AFB active military schedule; R-4501 activation means no civilian UAS
  • USFS Special Use Permit required for commercial work within the national forest

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