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Drone Rules for Mount Rainier National Park

Sunrise, Washington (WA) • United States
Washington, USA
Lat: 46.8671 • Lng: -121.7
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Mount Rainier National Park under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. An active stratovolcano with the largest glacial system in the contiguous U.S., Mount Rainier's summit triggers FAA high-altitude ope

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
  • Wilderness: ❌ Mount Rainier Wilderness absolute motorized ban
  • Volcano: ⚠️ Active stratovolcano — TFR risk during unrest

Geographic Boundaries

Mount Rainier National Park is located in Pierce and Lewis Counties, Washington, in the Cascade Range.

  • Total area: ~236,381 acres
  • Coordinates: 46.8800° N, 121.7269° W
  • Includes Mount Rainier summit (14,411 ft MSL — highest peak in WA), 26 named glaciers, Paradise, Sunrise, and Carbon River
  • Mount Rainier Wilderness: ~228,480 acres
  • Nearest city: Ashford, WA (~8 miles west)

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
  • Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — absolute motorized ban
  • FAA TFR framework (14 CFR § 91.137) — active volcano TFRs issued during unrest; check tfr.faa.gov before operations
  • High-altitude operations above 18,000 ft MSL require Class A IFR clearance (summit zone)
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations
  • Airspace: Class G; Seattle Class B TMA ~60 miles northwest

Penalties

  • NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation
  • Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment
  • TFR violation: FAA civil penalties up to $27,500/day
  • Equipment confiscation by park rangers

Special Permissions

  • NPS Special Use Permit required
  • Volcanic unrest TFR: check tfr.faa.gov before any operation
  • Glaciological research: NPS + USGS coordination Submit requests to: Mount Rainier NP Superintendent, 55210 238th Avenue East, Ashford, WA 98304
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