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Drone Rules for Gauley River National Recreation Area
Victor, West Virginia (WV)
• Estados Unidos
36 Fayette Station Rd, Victor, WV 25938, EUA
Lat: 38.2232 • Lng: -80.9912
Rules Edit History: Gauley River National Recreation Area
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 29, 2026 2:07 AM
Approved
• Added drone restriction profile for Gauley River NRA based on NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR § 1.5, Wild & Scenic Rivers Act Gauley River designation, ESA Section 9 Indiana bat endangered cave roost habitat, and MBTA Cerulean Warbler and Bald Eagle nesting.
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Your proposed edit for Gauley River National Recreation Area has been 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/gari/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations. Wild & Scenic Rivers Act Gauley River designation, ESA Indiana bat endangered cave roost gorge walls, and MBTA Cerulean Warbler and Bald Eagle nesting add multi-layer federal restrictions.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Gauley River National Recreation Area under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. The Gauley River — considered one of the most challenging whitewater rivers in the world — carries Wild & Scenic River desi |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - WSR: ⚠️ Wild & Scenic River designation - ESA: ⚠️ Indiana bat endangered — cave roost gorge walls ## Geographic Boundaries Gauley River NRA is located in Nicholas and Fayette Counties, West Virginia, in the Appalachian Plateau. - Total area: ~11,595 acres - River length: ~25 miles of Gauley River gorge - Coordinates: 38.2167° N, 80.9833° W - Includes Summersville Dam to Swiss, WV corridor; Upper Gauley (Class V+ rapids) and Lower Gauley sections - Adjacent to Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park - Nearest city: Summersville, WV (~5 miles north) ## 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 - Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. § 1271) — Gauley River - ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) endangered; gorge wall cave roosts = Section 9 protection - MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Cerulean Warbler and Bald Eagle nesting along gorge corridor - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over river ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - WSR Act civil penalties for river corridor disturbance - ESA Indiana bat: up to $50,000 + 1 year imprisonment - MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per bird disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Indiana bat research: ESA Section 10 ITP + USFWS coordination - Bat roost survey blackout: October–April hibernation season Submit requests to: Gauley River NRA Superintendent, 104 Main Street East, Glen Jean, WV 25846
Show inline change markers
+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - WSR: ⚠️ Wild & Scenic River designation + - ESA: ⚠️ Indiana bat endangered — cave roost gorge walls + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Gauley River NRA is located in Nicholas and Fayette Counties, + West Virginia, in the Appalachian Plateau. + - Total area: ~11,595 acres + - River length: ~25 miles of Gauley River gorge + - Coordinates: 38.2167° N, 80.9833° W + - Includes Summersville Dam to Swiss, WV corridor; + Upper Gauley (Class V+ rapids) and Lower Gauley sections + - Adjacent to Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park + - Nearest city: Summersville, WV (~5 miles north) + + ## 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 + - Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. § 1271) — Gauley River + - ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) + endangered; gorge wall cave roosts = Section 9 protection + - MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Cerulean Warbler and Bald Eagle + nesting along gorge corridor + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations + - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over river + + ## Penalties + - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation + - WSR Act civil penalties for river corridor disturbance + - ESA Indiana bat: up to $50,000 + 1 year imprisonment + - MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per bird disturbance + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + + ## Special Permissions + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - Indiana bat research: ESA Section 10 ITP + USFWS coordination + - Bat roost survey blackout: October–April hibernation season + Submit requests to: Gauley River NRA Superintendent, + 104 Main Street East, Glen Jean, WV 25846