← Back to Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Drone Rules for Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Davis, West Virginia (WV) • United States
6263 Appalachian Hwy, Davis, WV 26260, USA
Lat: 39.0452 • Lng: -79.4468
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
Edit rules/place details on map

Canaan Valley NWR prohibits all UAS operations under USFWS Director's Order 210. At 3,400 feet elevation, the valley hosts the largest freshwater wetland complex in the central Appalachians.

Drone Rules - Canaan Valley NWR

All drone operations are prohibited under USFWS Director's Order 210 (2015) without a Special Use Permit.

Airspace / Site Context

  • Remote high-elevation valley at 3,200-3,500 ft MSL in Tucker County, WV
  • Elkins Regional Airport (KEKN) Class D lies ~30 miles south
  • Refuge encompasses 16,685 acres including bogs, shrub wetlands, and spruce forests
  • Functionally isolated ecosystem with numerous rare plant and invertebrate species

Key Rules

  • No UAS without USFWS Special Use Permit
  • ESA-listed Indiana Bat hibernates in caves adjacent to refuge October-April
  • West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (ESA delisted 2008) sensitive habitat
  • Adjacent Canaan Valley Resort State Park also prohibits drone operations

Source

Map is not loaded yet
Load the map only when you need to view the rule outline.
This shows the latest mapped outline for this rules page. Click a shape to view its note when available.
Rule sources
Parent Rule Pages