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Drone Rules for Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Dell City, Texas (TX)
• United States
Dell City, TX 79847, USA
Lat: 31.9233 • Lng: -104.866
Rules Edit History: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
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May 29, 2026 6:13 AM
Approved
• Added NPS drone prohibition for Guadalupe Mountains NP.
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NeedsHumanReview
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The outline center is about 11.41 km from the selected place. A moderator should confirm the selected place and outline match.
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/gumo/planyourvisit/rules.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/gumo/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations within Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Wilderness Act and PRPA Permian fossil reef protections add additional restriction layers.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Guadalupe Mountains 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. Home to the highest peak in Texas and the world's most ex | Drones are prohibited in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Wilderness designation and sensitive cave ecosystem. |
| Mapped shapes | 92f59c11-0314-4f7d-9ba2-bf7d1ca3b992 | 5030c0f3-0a63-4c79-8175-520de348930a |
Before
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - Wilderness: ❌ Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness absolute motorized ban ## Geographic Boundaries Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in Culberson and Hudspeth Counties, Texas, on the New Mexico border. - Total area: ~86,367 acres - Coordinates: 31.9231° N, 104.8713° W - Includes Guadalupe Peak (8,751 ft MSL — highest point in Texas), El Capitan cliff, McKittrick Canyon, and Salt Basin Dunes - Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness: ~46,850 acres - Nearest city: Van Horn, TX (~65 miles southwest) ## 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 - Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aaa) — Permian fossil reef protections - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over park ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment - PRPA: fines up to $10,000 + imprisonment for fossil disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Paleontological research: NPS + PRPA federal permit - Scientific research with NPS-approved research permit Submit requests to: Guadalupe Mountains NP Superintendent, 400 Pine Canyon Road, Salt Flat, TX 79847
After
## Drone Rules - Guadalupe Mountains National Park **Drone flights are banned** in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone use anywhere in the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - Carlsbad Caverns proximity and bat colonies require strict aerial restrictions ### Source - NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm
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- - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - - Wilderness: ❌ Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness absolute motorized ban - Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in Culberson - and Hudspeth Counties, Texas, on the New Mexico border. - - Total area: ~86,367 acres - - Coordinates: 31.9231° N, 104.8713° W - - Includes Guadalupe Peak (8,751 ft MSL — highest point in Texas), - El Capitan cliff, McKittrick Canyon, and Salt Basin Dunes - - Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness: ~46,850 acres - - Nearest city: Van Horn, TX (~65 miles southwest) - - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban - - Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aaa) - — Permian fossil reef protections - - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over park - - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment - - PRPA: fines up to $10,000 + imprisonment for fossil disturbance - - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - - Equipment confiscation by park rangers - ## Special Permissions - - NPS Special Use Permit required - - Paleontological research: NPS + PRPA federal permit - - Scientific research with NPS-approved research permit - Submit requests to: Guadalupe Mountains NP Superintendent, - 400 Pine Canyon Road, Salt Flat, TX 79847
May 28, 2026 11:30 PM
Approved
• Added drone restriction profile for Guadalupe Mountains National Park based on NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR § 1.5, Wilderness Act, and PRPA Permian fossil reef protections.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit to the drone restriction profile for Guadalupe Mountains 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/subjects/sound/uas.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/gumo/planyourvisit/rules.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/gumo/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations within Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Wilderness Act and PRPA Permian fossil reef protections add additional restriction layers.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Wilderness designation and sensitive cave ecosystem. | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Guadalupe Mountains 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. Home to the highest peak in Texas and the world's most ex |
Before
## Drone Rules - Guadalupe Mountains National Park **Drone flights are banned** in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone use anywhere in the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - Carlsbad Caverns proximity and bat colonies require strict aerial restrictions ### Source - NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - Wilderness: ❌ Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness absolute motorized ban ## Geographic Boundaries Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in Culberson and Hudspeth Counties, Texas, on the New Mexico border. - Total area: ~86,367 acres - Coordinates: 31.9231° N, 104.8713° W - Includes Guadalupe Peak (8,751 ft MSL — highest point in Texas), El Capitan cliff, McKittrick Canyon, and Salt Basin Dunes - Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness: ~46,850 acres - Nearest city: Van Horn, TX (~65 miles southwest) ## 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 - Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aaa) — Permian fossil reef protections - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over park ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment - PRPA: fines up to $10,000 + imprisonment for fossil disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Paleontological research: NPS + PRPA federal permit - Scientific research with NPS-approved research permit Submit requests to: Guadalupe Mountains NP Superintendent, 400 Pine Canyon Road, Salt Flat, TX 79847
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+ - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - Wilderness: ❌ Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness absolute motorized ban + Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in Culberson + and Hudspeth Counties, Texas, on the New Mexico border. + - Total area: ~86,367 acres + - Coordinates: 31.9231° N, 104.8713° W + - Includes Guadalupe Peak (8,751 ft MSL — highest point in Texas), + El Capitan cliff, McKittrick Canyon, and Salt Basin Dunes + - Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness: ~46,850 acres + - Nearest city: Van Horn, TX (~65 miles southwest) + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban + - Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aaa) + — Permian fossil reef protections + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over park + - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - PRPA: fines up to $10,000 + imprisonment for fossil disturbance + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + ## Special Permissions + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - Paleontological research: NPS + PRPA federal permit + - Scientific research with NPS-approved research permit + Submit requests to: Guadalupe Mountains NP Superintendent, + 400 Pine Canyon Road, Salt Flat, TX 79847
May 28, 2026 2:02 AM
Approved
• Added NPS drone prohibition for Guadalupe Mountains NP.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the prohibition of drone operations in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, emphasizing the protection of its wilderness and sensitive cave ecosystems.
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 Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Wilderness designation and sensitive cave ecosystem. |
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 - Guadalupe Mountains National Park **Drone flights are banned** in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone use anywhere in the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - Carlsbad Caverns proximity and bat colonies require strict aerial restrictions ### Source - NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm
Show inline change markers
+ **Drone flights are banned** in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. + + ### Key Rules + - No recreational drone use anywhere in the park + - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit + - Carlsbad Caverns proximity and bat colonies require strict aerial restrictions + + ### Source + - NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm - 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.
Moderation feedback
Administrative rollback audit entry.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | NoFly | Permission |
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in Guadalupe Mountains National Park per 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 - Guadalupe Mountains National Park **Drone use is prohibited** in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit from park administration - The remote Chihuahuan Desert wilderness and fossil reef geology are protected ### Source - Guadalupe Mountains NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/gumo/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 from park administration - - The remote Chihuahuan Desert wilderness and fossil reef geology are protected - - ### Source - - Guadalupe Mountains NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/gumo/planyourvisit/rules.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 Guadalupe Mountains National Park per 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. |
| Mapped shapes | fc99d191-24d5-4a96-ac6e-91b96eee9d40 | 92f59c11-0314-4f7d-9ba2-bf7d1ca3b992 |
Before
## Drone Rules - Guadalupe Mountains National Park **Drone use is prohibited** in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the park - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit from park administration - The remote Chihuahuan Desert wilderness and fossil reef geology are protected ### Source - Guadalupe Mountains NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/gumo/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 from park administration - - The remote Chihuahuan Desert wilderness and fossil reef geology are protected - - ### Source - - Guadalupe Mountains NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/gumo/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 | — | 92f59c11-0314-4f7d-9ba2-bf7d1ca3b992 |
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