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Drone Rules for New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
Prince, West Virginia (WV)
• United States
West Virginia, USA
Lat: 37.8707 • Lng: -81.0531
Rules Edit History: New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 28, 2026 11:29 PM
Approved
• Added drone restriction profile for New River Gorge National Park based on NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR § 1.5, Wild & Scenic Rivers Act New River corridor, and NHPA New River Gorge Bridge National Historic Landmark protections.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit to the drone restriction profile for New River Gorge 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/neri/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations within New River Gorge National Park. Wild & Scenic Rivers Act corridor protections and NHPA New River Gorge Bridge landmark restrictions add additional layers.
- https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/rules.htm
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drones are prohibited in New River Gorge National Park per NPS policy. The gorge rim and river corridor are protected. | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at New River Gorge 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. America's newest national park (designated 2020), the gorge's |
Before
## Drone Rules - New River Gorge National Park **Drone flights are banned** in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone use within the park boundary - Commercial filming requires a Special Use Permit - Rock climbers, whitewater rafters, and peregrine falcon nesting sites make drones especially disruptive ### Source - New River Gorge NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - WSR: ⚠️ New River Wild & Scenic corridor restrictions ## Geographic Boundaries New River Gorge National Park is located in Fayette, Raleigh, Summers, and Nicholas Counties, West Virginia. - Total area: ~72,808 acres - Coordinates: 37.8736° N, 81.0773° W - Includes New River Gorge Bridge (876 ft — longest steel arch bridge in Western Hemisphere), Grandview overlook, Grandview Rim Trail, and Sandstone Falls - New River designated Wild & Scenic River - Nearest city: Beckley, WV (~15 miles south) ## 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 - Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. § 1271) — New River corridor - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — New River Gorge Bridge National Historic Landmark - 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 - WSR Act civil penalties for river corridor disturbance - NHPA penalties for historic bridge landmark disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Bridge Jump Day (Bridge Day festival): special operational restrictions apply — contact park for annual event rules - Historic research: NHPA + SHPO review required Submit requests to: New River Gorge NP Superintendent, 104 Main Street East, Glen Jean, WV 25846
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+ - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - WSR: ⚠️ New River Wild & Scenic corridor restrictions + New River Gorge National Park is located in Fayette, Raleigh, + Summers, and Nicholas Counties, West Virginia. + - Total area: ~72,808 acres + - Coordinates: 37.8736° N, 81.0773° W + - Includes New River Gorge Bridge (876 ft — longest steel arch + bridge in Western Hemisphere), Grandview overlook, + Grandview Rim Trail, and Sandstone Falls + - New River designated Wild & Scenic River + - Nearest city: Beckley, WV (~15 miles south) + - Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. § 1271) — New River corridor + - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — + New River Gorge Bridge National Historic Landmark + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over park + - WSR Act civil penalties for river corridor disturbance + - NHPA penalties for historic bridge landmark disturbance + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + ## Special Permissions + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - Bridge Jump Day (Bridge Day festival): special operational + restrictions apply — contact park for annual event rules + - Historic research: NHPA + SHPO review required + Submit requests to: New River Gorge NP Superintendent, + 104 Main Street East, Glen Jean, WV 25846
May 27, 2026 11:07 PM
Approved
• Added NPS drone ban for New River Gorge NP with climbing and raptor nesting context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the drone prohibition in New River Gorge National Park, including specific details about protected areas and activities.
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 New River Gorge National Park per NPS policy. The gorge rim and river corridor are protected. |
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 - New River Gorge National Park **Drone flights are banned** in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone use within the park boundary - Commercial filming requires a Special Use Permit - Rock climbers, whitewater rafters, and peregrine falcon nesting sites make drones especially disruptive ### Source - New River Gorge NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/rules.htm
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+ **Drone flights are banned** in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. + + ### Key Rules + - No recreational drone use within the park boundary + - Commercial filming requires a Special Use Permit + - Rock climbers, whitewater rafters, and peregrine falcon nesting sites make drones especially disruptive + + ### Source + - New River Gorge NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/rules.htm - https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
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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 | — | 1d21eb95-dfc4-4154-96ca-f20007d88e2b |
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