Yosemite Drone Laws Exposed: Strict Bans, Hefty Fines, and Where You Can Still Fly Legally

• Drones are banned in Yosemite National Park – Since 2014, the National Park Service (NPS) has prohibited all drone use in Yosemite and all U.S. national parks nps.gov. Launching, landing, or operating any unmanned aircraft within park boundaries is illegal under this policy.
• No permits for hobbyists or tourists – Yosemite’s rules explicitly forbid drones “under all circumstances,” and the park will not issue permits for recreational drone flights nps.gov. Even FAA-certified pilots (Part 107) cannot fly in the park without special NPS approval (which is virtually never granted).
• Hefty penalties for violations – Flying a drone in Yosemite is a federal misdemeanor. Offenders can face up to 6 months in jail and $5,000 in fines nps.gov, plus confiscation of equipment or additional charges if wildlife or visitors were disturbed. Rangers have issued numerous fines to drone operators in national parks (e.g. $3,200 for a drone crash in Yellowstone) uavcoach.com.
• Few exceptions to the ban – The NPS drone ban applies to both recreational and commercial use alike uavcoach.com. Only in extremely rare cases (like park-sponsored research, search-and-rescue operations, or firefighting) are drones allowed with a special written permit from the park superintendent uavcoach.com. Yosemite officials have stated they will not approve public drone use, keeping the park essentially a strict no-fly zone nps.gov.
• Other national parks do the same – Yosemite’s drone prohibition is part of a nationwide policy. Iconic parks such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Great Smoky Mountains all enforce similar drone bans. Past incidents – like drones harassing wildlife at Zion uavcoach.com or crashing into Yellowstone’s geysers and lakes uavcoach.com – prompted these strict rules across the park system.
• You can fly outside the park – Drone enthusiasts aren’t completely grounded. It’s legal to fly in areas near Yosemite that lie outside the national park, such as national forest or Bureau of Land Management lands. Surrounding public lands (e.g. Stanislaus & Sierra National Forests) generally permit drones if you follow FAA rules and avoid designated wilderness areas uavcoach.com. In other words, take your drone to nearby open areas – not inside Yosemite – to stay within the law.

Federal Drone Laws and FAA Regulations (Nationwide Rules)

U.S. federal law heavily regulates drone operations nationwide under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These rules apply everywhere in the country, including areas around Yosemite (and even in the park, though park-specific bans add extra restrictions). Key federal drone laws include:

• Drone Registration & Weight Limits: All drones weighing over 0.55 pounds (250 g) must be registered with the FAA and marked with a registration number thedroneu.com thedroneu.com. Drones under 250 g used purely for recreation are exempt from registration, but all drones (regardless of weight) must follow safety rules.
• Recreational Flying Requirements: Hobbyist drone pilots must take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof of passing it thedroneu.com. Recreational flyers are expected to follow the FAA’s model aircraft guidelines – for example, fly below 400 feet, keep the drone within visual line of sight, avoid flying near airports or crowds, and yield right-of-way to manned aircraft parks.ca.gov. These standard rules aim to keep the national airspace safe for everyone.
• Commercial Use (Part 107 License): If you fly a drone for work or business (anything beyond strictly personal/recreational use), FAA regulations require you to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107 license) thedroneu.com. To get certified, a pilot must pass an FAA aeronautical knowledge exam and adhere to Part 107 rules during operations. Part 107 rules allow certain advanced operations (like flying at night or over people) with specific conditions, but all flights still must remain under 400 ft AGL and yield to other aircraft thedroneu.com thedroneu.com.
• Airspace Restrictions: The FAA controls U.S. airspace nationwide. No-fly zones and restricted airspace exist around airports, military bases, critical infrastructure, and temporary hazards (like wildfire areas or big events). Pilots must check airspace maps (e.g. FAA’s apps) and get authorization if flying in controlled airspace. Notably, national parks are not designated no-fly zones by the FAA by default, but the park service’s own rules effectively create a no-drone zone on park lands uavcoach.com. The FAA has issued specific flight restrictions over a few park sites (e.g. a permanent flight restriction over Mount Rushmore) uavcoach.com, but generally the air above a national park is not off-limits unless you’re launching or landing from within the park, which the NPS prohibits.
• Remote ID Requirement: As of September 2023, most drones in the U.S. must comply with the FAA’s Remote ID rule, meaning they broadcast an identifier signal during flight thedroneu.com thedroneu.com. This “digital license plate” helps authorities track drones. If you’re flying anywhere (even outside Yosemite) with a drone that weighs over 250 g, ensure it has Remote ID capability or use an add-on module to stay legal thedroneu.com thedroneu.com.

In summary, federal law (FAA) requires you to register and tag your drone (if over 250 g), follow safety rules like altitude limits and line-of-sight, and get licensed for commercial operations. These nationwide rules apply everywhere you fly in the U.S. – but they are just the baseline. Local laws and regulations can add further restrictions, which is exactly the case with national parks. Even a fully compliant FAA-certified drone pilot cannot fly in Yosemite National Park due to the park-specific ban, described below.

National Park Service Policy: No Drones in National Parks

The National Park Service (NPS) has outlawed drones in all national parks since 2014. This is a service-wide rule aimed at protecting wildlife and the visitor experience. In June 2014, the NPS Director issued Policy Memorandum 14-05 directing every park superintendent to prohibit drone use under their authority nps.gov. This resulted in a blanket ban: “Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the NPS” is forbidden in all parks uavcoach.com.

Recreational and commercial drones are treated alike. Unlike some regulations that differentiate hobby flyers from commercial pilots, the NPS ban is total – it doesn’t matter if you’re a tourist flying for fun or a filmmaker with a Part 107 license. Drones are not allowed in national parks without explicit written permission from the NPS uavcoach.com. Essentially, once you cross into an NPS unit (whether it’s a national park, monument, seashore, historic site, etc.), you must stow your drone. This policy covers the 400+ units managed by NPS, including all famous parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, etc. uavcoach.com.

Why such a strict ban? The ban was prompted by growing concerns that drones were nuisance and hazard in natural areas. In the early 2010s, as drone popularity soared, parks saw a spike in visitors flying them. This led to incidents that alarmed park officials: drones buzzing over crowds and campgrounds, loud buzzing noises disrupting the tranquility of wilderness, and wildlife getting harassed or spooked by unmanned aircraft nps.gov uavcoach.com. For example, in one case at Zion National Park a drone flew too close to a herd of bighorn sheep, causing several young sheep to become separated from their mothers uavcoach.com. In Yellowstone, tourists crashed camera drones into thermal pools and lakes, risking damage to these sensitive environments uavcoach.com. Such episodes underscored the potential for harm to wildlife, danger to visitors, and negative impacts on natural soundscapes.

Another major factor is that many national parks, including most of Yosemite, contain designated Wilderness areas. Under the 1964 Wilderness Act, motorized equipment (and even mechanized transport like bicycles) is prohibited in congressionally designated wilderness zones. Drones, being motorized devices, violate Wilderness regulations by their very operation nps.gov. The NPS noted that drones flying over wilderness interfere with the sense of solitude and unspoiled nature those areas are meant to preserve nps.gov nps.gov. This legal wilderness mandate gave the park service another strong justification for a ban.

How the ban is enforced: The NPS implemented the drone prohibition by using an existing regulation – 36 CFR §1.5, which allows park superintendents to enact closures or restrictions for resource protection and visitor safety uavcoach.com uavcoach.com. By posting a policy that drones are not allowed, parks can ticket violators under this authority. In practice, rangers may cite drone pilots under an assortment of rules. For instance, 36 CFR §2.17(a)(3) – originally written to ban delivering or retrieving objects via aircraft – has been used to penalize drone flights (this was the regulation Yosemite first cited in 2014 to stop drone use) nps.gov. Rangers could also charge drone users with disturbing wildlife (36 CFR §2.2) or creating a hazard/disorderly conduct (36 CFR §2.34) if those circumstances apply nps.gov. The key point is that flying a drone in a national park is not just frowned upon, it is explicitly illegal and can lead to federal charges.

It’s important to note the distinction between airspace and land: The FAA has sole jurisdiction over airspace, but the NPS controls the ground and waters within park boundaries. The drone ban is implemented as a restriction on what you can do from park lands – i.e. you cannot launch, land, or operate a drone on NPS property nps.gov. Technically, this means the NPS does not claim to “own” the air above the park; their rule is about the act of using a drone from within the park. In effect, however, if you can’t take off or land in the park, you can’t practically fly a drone over it (short of some convoluted operation from outside – a gray area discussed later). The bottom line is that inside any national park, drones are grounded by law.

The NPS’s no-drone policy has remained in force since 2014 and continues today nps.gov. There are only narrow exceptions (discussed below), and as a visitor you should assume no drones allowed unless you have direct, official permission. Nowhere is this more true than Yosemite, which has been particularly strict on this issue.

Yosemite National Park’s Drone Rules and History

Yosemite National Park has a strict zero-tolerance stance on drones. The park’s regulations state clearly: “Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft” within Yosemite is prohibited. This is highlighted on the official Yosemite website, along with the note that no permits will be issued for drone use in the park nps.gov. In other words, you cannot fly a drone in Yosemite under any normal circumstances – not for fun, not for commercial filming, not even for hobbyist photography. Park officials have made it clear that drones are off-limits in order to protect visitors and Yosemite’s natural scenery nps.gov.

Yosemite was actually one of the first parks to ban drones, even before the nationwide policy was announced. In May 2014 (a month before the NPS-wide memo), Yosemite’s administration issued a press release reminding visitors that drones are illegal in the park uavcoach.com. At that time, Yosemite relied on an existing federal regulation (36 CFR 2.17(a)(3)) to justify the ban nps.gov, essentially saying that using a drone fit under “delivering or retrieving a person or object by airborne means,” which was already prohibited without a permit. The press release emphasized that this interpretation made all drone use in Yosemite illegal, “under all circumstances.” nps.gov In practical terms, even before drones were a household gadget, Yosemite had decided they don’t belong in its skies.

Park rangers in Yosemite had good reason to act early. They had observed a growing trend of visitors flying drones to capture the park’s iconic landscapes and rock climbs on film. By 2014, drones were being spotted daily in Yosemite Valley, hovering over popular areas. Rangers noted several issues caused by these drones:

• Intrusive filming: Drones were seen filming climbers scaling Yosemite’s cliffs and buzzing above treetops to get panoramic footage nps.gov. This raised privacy and nuisance concerns – climbers and hikers complained about the constant droning noise in otherwise serene areas.
• Noise and “wilderness experience”: Yosemite is 95% designated wilderness. Visitors come for peace and natural sounds (wind, waterfalls, birds). A drone’s whine echoing in a granite canyon shatters the wilderness atmosphere. The park specifically stated that drone noise is “extremely noisy” and “not conducive to wilderness travel,” disrupting the natural soundscape and other visitors’ enjoyment nps.gov.
• Interference with rescues: Yosemite frequently conducts high-angle search-and-rescue operations (for injured climbers, lost hikers, etc.), often involving helicopters. Drones in the area can pose a serious hazard to rescue helicopters – a collision or near-miss could endanger rescuers and victims. Park officials warned that drones distract emergency personnel and create confusion during rescue missions nps.gov. In life-or-death situations, the last thing needed is a hobby drone getting in the way.
• Wildlife disturbance: Yosemite is home to sensitive wildlife, including the peregrine falcon which nests on cliff walls. Drones flying near nesting sites can cause birds to abandon nests or otherwise disrupt feeding and breeding. The 2014 notice mentioned drones’ negative impacts on wildlife, especially nesting peregrine falcons on Yosemite’s cliffs nps.gov. Other animals, from bears to bighorn sheep, can be frightened or harassed by the unfamiliar presence of drones, even if unintentional.

Given these concerns, Yosemite’s superintendent didn’t wait to implement a ban. The park made it unequivocally clear: if you visit Yosemite, leave the drone at home. Signs went up, websites were updated, and rangers actively spread the word in 2014 that drones are not allowed. This local ban dovetailed with the national policy shortly thereafter, reinforcing Yosemite’s authority to keep drones out.

Enforcement in Yosemite has been vigorous. Park rangers will stop anyone they see operating a drone. Typically, the encounter will result in the drone being grounded and the operator receiving a citation (ticket). The exact charge may be written as violating the superintendent’s closure (the drone ban) or other applicable regulations. Because this is a federal offense, you could be required to appear in federal magistrate court and face penalties (outlined in the next section). In egregious cases – say, a drone that interfered with a wildfire-fighting aircraft or caused an injury – stronger enforcement actions would be on the table. However, most incidents in parks so far have resulted in fines rather than arrests or jail time.

It’s worth noting that Yosemite’s approach is primarily preventative and educational. Rangers often emphasize educating drone users (many of whom genuinely do not realize the rule) – for example, by informing them of the ban and asking them to pack the drone away – but they will issue citations if someone has blatantly disregarded the rules or caused a problem. In the first summer of the ban (2014), news reports described rangers scrambling to keep up with the number of drones buzzing around Yosemite Falls and other hotspots, sometimes confiscating memory cards or equipment as evidence of illegal flights uavcoach.com. That initial surge of drone usage has subsided as the public became more aware that drones are verboten in national parks.

Notable incidents specific to Yosemite have been less publicized than those in some other parks (like Yellowstone), possibly because Yosemite’s preemptive ban curtailed the trend early. One famous pre-2014 video showed a drone’s stunning aerial footage of Yosemite Valley – footage that today would be illegal to capture. After the ban, most Yosemite visitors have complied, and we haven’t seen widely reported stunts like “drone crashes into Half Dome” in the news. The lack of headline-grabbing drone crashes in Yosemite is likely a testament to the park’s firm stance and visitor awareness. Still, Yosemite’s officials remain vigilant, routinely reminding the public that drones are outlawed in the park nps.gov to preserve the very qualities that make Yosemite special.

Penalties for Violating Yosemite’s Drone Restrictions

Flying a drone in Yosemite National Park can lead to serious legal consequences. Because the drone ban is backed by federal regulations, violators are committing a misdemeanor crime. Under federal law (specifically 36 CFR and 18 USC), the maximum penalty for violating an NPS regulation is $5,000 in fines and up to six months in jail nps.gov. This is the standard penalty ceiling for a Class B misdemeanor on federal lands.

It’s important to understand that $5,000/6 months is the maximum – typical penalties are usually lower, but still not trivial. In many cases, first-time offenders might receive a fine in the hundreds or low thousands of dollars range. For example, in drone incidents at other parks: one tourist at Yellowstone was fined $1,600 and banned from the park for a year after crashing his drone into Yellowstone Lake uavcoach.com, and another was fined $3,200 for a drone that plummeted into the Grand Prismatic Spring uavcoach.com. These cases show that while the full $5,000 fine is rarely used, multi-thousand dollar fines can and have been imposed, especially when the drone causes a significant disturbance or resource damage.

In Yosemite, if you are caught, a ranger will typically issue you a citation (ticket) that lists the offense. You may have to appear before a federal magistrate judge (often “mail-in” appearances or paying a fine is allowed for minor infractions, but it’s still a federal court matter). The judge can impose fines, probation, or even jail time. While jail is uncommon for something like a drone violation by an otherwise law-abiding tourist, it’s not impossible if the circumstances are severe (for instance, if your drone caused an injury or you were belligerent to authorities). At the very least, expect your drone flying day to end abruptly and expensively.

Equipment confiscation is also a possibility. Rangers have the authority to seize your drone as evidence. In some reported cases, memory cards were taken so authorities could review the footage for investigative purposes uavcoach.com. If you’re unlucky, you might not get your drone back – or not until after legal proceedings conclude.

Beyond fines and equipment loss, there are other ramifications: you could be banned from the park for a period of time. As mentioned, one drone pilot received a one-year ban from Yellowstone. While bans are not automatic, the NPS can issue them as part of the punishment (usually via a court order or as a condition of probation). Being banned means if you re-enter the park during that time, you could be arrested for trespassing.

Also, if your drone flight triggered other violations – say, harassing wildlife or creating a hazardous condition – you could face multiple charges. For instance, if a drone disturbed an endangered species, authorities might add a charge under wildlife protection laws in addition to the drone ban violation. This could compound the penalties.

In summary, violating Yosemite’s (and any national park’s) drone ban carries the weight of federal law. You risk a criminal record, heavy fines, possible confiscation of your drone, and even jail in extreme cases. The NPS has explicitly stated: violation of the uncrewed aircraft prohibition is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine nps.gov. Given these stakes, the message is clear – it’s simply not worth it to attempt a sneak drone flight in Yosemite. The cost of that epic selfie or landscape shot could be far higher than you bargained for.

Are There Any Exceptions or Permits? (Commercial or Research Drone Use in Yosemite)

With such a strict ban, one might wonder: Is there any way to legally fly a drone in Yosemite? For the average person, the answer is no. Yosemite National Park has stated it will not issue permits for drone use nps.gov, which means you cannot just apply for permission to fly your drone for photography or fun. This applies equally to commercial purposes – e.g. if you’re a professional photographer or filmmaker, Yosemite’s policy is that they will not allow drones as part of any filming permits.

However, there are a few narrow exceptions, primarily for purposes that serve the park’s interests:

• Scientific research and resource management: In theory, the NPS can grant a Special Use Permit for drone operations that have a scientific or resource protection purpose uavcoach.com. For example, a research team studying geology or wildlife might propose using a drone to collect data. These requests undergo strict scrutiny. Park superintendents must decide such cases individually, and approval is exceedingly rare – especially in Yosemite, which is protective of its resources.
• Search and Rescue (SAR) and emergency operations: The park service itself uses drones in some parks for official missions. Yosemite’s policy doesn’t forbid the NPS’s own staff or partner agencies from flying drones for things like finding lost hikers, monitoring wildfires, or other emergency responses when authorized. (In fact, Grand Canyon National Park has its own fleet of SAR drones operated by rangers uavcoach.com.) If a life-saving operation in Yosemite could benefit from a drone, the superintendent could approve NPS pilots to deploy one. But this does not extend to the public – it’s an internal exception only.
• Other administrative uses: Occasionally, drones have been used in parks for projects like creating maps or educational materials. One example is Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont, where in 2015 the NPS allowed a pilot to take aerial photos for a park brochure/map uavcoach.com. Another is Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, which permitted a drone in 2017 to map the dune fields for scientific data uavcoach.com. These were special cases with direct park involvement. If Yosemite had a compelling administrative need (say, surveying a hard-to-reach area), they might internally authorize a drone for that task, under careful controls.

For visitors or outside entities, getting a drone permit for Yosemite is virtually impossible. Unlike some activities (such as commercial filming with traditional cameras, which can be permitted), drones are a non-starter. The park’s language that it “will not issue permits” for drones is pretty absolute nps.gov. Even if you are a filmmaker with a valid FAA Part 107 license and you apply for a filming permit, Yosemite’s film office will deny any request that involves drone footage. They will expect you to use alternative methods (like helicopters, cranes, or stock footage) – though note, even helicopter use has strict limitations in parks due to noise, wildlife disturbance, and safety.

What about flying just outside the park or at the boundary for a project in Yosemite? If you’re technically outside the park, Yosemite’s rules don’t apply. Some filmmakers have tried filming into the park from outside (for instance, launching a drone from adjacent national forest land to capture Yosemite’s skyline). While this might skirt the letter of NPS regulations (since you’re not on NPS land), it’s a risky endeavor. Maintaining line-of-sight and control from outside the boundary is difficult in mountainous terrain, and if your drone drifts or crashes inside the park, you’d be in violation. Also, the FAA might consider certain heavily visited areas (like around Yosemite Valley) as sensitive even if not formally restricted. Generally, the park service would strongly object to such attempts, and you could face backlash or legal issues if caught. So, it’s not a recommended “loophole.”

In summary, unless you are working with the National Park Service on an approved project, there is no legal way for a private individual or company to fly a drone within Yosemite. The NPS’s stance is that the ban has “few exceptions” and those are essentially internal park uses nps.gov uavcoach.com. Commercial drone pilots, hobbyists, and researchers should all assume that Yosemite is a drone no-go zone. If you have a special case (say you’re a scientist who truly needs drone data from Yosemite), you would have to go through a very high-level approval process: securing a research permit and a written superintendent approval, which, by all indications, is extremely unlikely under current policy.

One more note: the Wilderness Act overlay means that even the park superintendent likely cannot authorize drones in designated wilderness except in emergencies. Over 94% of Yosemite is wilderness, so that’s another legal barrier to permits. The only areas that are not wilderness are mostly the developed zones (roads, facilities) – precisely where drones would bother lots of visitors. So either way, there’s little appetite to permit drones.

For all practical purposes, Yosemite = no drones, period. If you need aerial imagery of Yosemite, you’ll have to rely on alternatives (helicopter overflights outside the park, prior permission for very special cases, or using footage captured before the ban, etc.). But as an average visitor, just don’t bring your drone into Yosemite – you won’t be allowed to use it.

Drone Policies in Other Prominent National Parks

The drone ban is not just a Yosemite thing – it’s in effect across the entire U.S. national park system. Virtually every famous national park you can name has the same prohibition on drones. For example:

• Yellowstone National Park: Drones are completely banned, just like Yosemite. In 2014, shortly after the ban took hold, two high-profile drone crashes occurred in Yellowstone. One tourist flew a drone that crashed into Grand Prismatic Spring, the park’s largest hot spring, and he was fined over $3,000 for the damage and prohibited from Yellowstone for an extended period uavcoach.com. Another visitor crashed a drone into Yellowstone Lake and was fined $1,600 (this was noted as the first drone-related prosecution in a national park) uavcoach.com. These incidents underscored why the ban exists – beyond disturbing people and wildlife, drones can physically damage fragile natural features or end up littering the landscape (that drone is still sitting in the hot spring because removing it could do more harm). Yellowstone officials enforce the no-drone rule strictly, and signage at park entrances warns people of the policy.
• Grand Canyon National Park: Grand Canyon’s policy is the same NPS blanket ban – no recreational drones allowed. A well-known incident in 2011 (before the formal policy) involved a drone pilot being stopped by rangers at Grand Canyon; his drone was confiscated and he received a $325 ticket under existing regulations uavcoach.com. This case (involving Raphael Pirker) actually became a catalyst in drone law – he fought an FAA fine in court and briefly won, highlighting the legal gray areas at the time uavcoach.com uavcoach.com. Nonetheless, Grand Canyon proceeded to ban drones like every other park in 2014. Today, Grand Canyon has even developed its own internal drone program for search-and-rescue missions uavcoach.com (with several park-operated drones and trained pilots), but it continues to bar visitors from flying anything. So if you’re hoping to get that dramatic canyon aerial shot with your personal drone, think again – it’s off-limits.
• Zion National Park: Zion in Utah was among the parks that quickly fell in line with the drone ban after Yosemite. Rangers there have cited protection of Zion’s bighorn sheep and other wildlife as a major reason for the ban. As mentioned, one drone incident in 2014 caused baby bighorn sheep to be separated from their herd, which could have led to their deaths uavcoach.com. Zion officials have zero tolerance for drones; they’ve been known to issue fines and even confiscate drones when people try to fly them near popular sites like Angels Landing. Expect the same penalties in Zion as in Yosemite if you’re caught – misdemeanor charges and fines.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The most visited national park in the U.S. (straddling Tennessee and North Carolina) also bans drones outright. Given its high visitation, a drone flying around crowded overlooks or campsites in the Smokies would be a significant disturbance, so rangers there enforce the ban actively. The park’s superintendent’s compendium (the rulebook for the park) explicitly prohibits unmanned aircraft. No known exceptions have been made in Great Smoky Mountains for public use.
• Rocky Mountain National Park: Like Yosemite, this Colorado park is almost entirely wilderness. It implemented the drone ban and has even had to remind neighboring landowners that launching drones that then fly into the park is not allowed. Rocky Mountain NP’s rugged peaks and wildlife (elk, bighorn sheep, etc.) are sensitive to drone intrusion, and the park will cite violators.
• Other NPS units: It’s not just the big parks – national monuments, historic sites, battlefields, seashores, parkways, etc., all fall under NPS jurisdiction and thus the drone ban. For instance, Denali National Park in Alaska (another wilderness-heavy park) has the ban – a drone video posted in 2014 in Denali of a large flock of birds scattering contributed to concern uavcoach.com. Cape Cod National Seashore (Massachusetts) and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (around San Francisco) also enforce no-drone rules; the latter sees frequent issues with drones around the Golden Gate Bridge, which is not allowed. Even National Mall in Washington D.C. is off-limits (and has special prohibited airspace status). Essentially, if it’s managed by NPS, assume drones can’t fly there.

In all these places, the rationale and rules are the same: NPS doesn’t want drones disturbing wildlife, bothering visitors, or risking accidents in areas they manage. If you violate the rules in any national park, you face the same federal penalties as described for Yosemite. There may be some slight differences in how each park writes the rule (some list it in their Superintendent’s Compendium, others issue press releases or put it on their website), but they all point back to the 2014 NPS policy memo as the foundation.

Are any national parks considering loosening the ban? As of now, not really. The ban has been in place for over a decade and NPS has reaffirmed it as recently as 2023/2024. The only discussions of change have been around NPS’s own use of drones – for example, employing drones for wildfire management or research within parks – but not allowing the public to fly them. So for the foreseeable future, if you’re visiting a U.S. national park, plan to keep your drone packed away.

One distinction to be aware of: other federal lands that are not under NPS have different rules. For example, National Forests (managed by the U.S. Forest Service) or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands generally allow drones (with some restrictions) – these aren’t national parks, and they fall under the Department of Agriculture or Interior (BLM) with no blanket drone ban. So, if you step outside a national park and onto national forest land, the legal situation changes (more on that next). But within any national park boundary, the prohibition is uniform.

In summary, Yosemite’s drone ban is mirrored by all major national parks across the country. Whether you’re at Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Smokies, or Acadia, the rule is the same: no drones. The NPS has even used slogans like “Leave the drone at home” in its campaigns to get the word out facebook.com. Enjoy the parks with your own eyes (and cameras from the ground), because aerial devices are not part of the experience the Park Service allows.

Where Can You Fly? – Legal Alternatives Near Yosemite

While Yosemite National Park itself is off-limits to drones, the good news is there are plenty of places nearby where you can fly legally and safely. If you’re looking to capture epic Sierra Nevada aerial footage or just enjoy flying your drone in nature, consider these alternatives outside the park boundaries:

• National Forests Adjacent to Yosemite: Yosemite is bordered by vast areas of National Forest land – notably the Stanislaus National Forest to the west/north, the Sierra National Forest to the south, and the Inyo National Forest to the east. The U.S. Forest Service does not have an outright ban on drones in national forests. Generally, you are allowed to fly drones on Forest Service land as long as you follow FAA rules and any specific forest regulations. This means you can take your drone just outside Yosemite and fly over scenic forested areas, mountain vistas, and rivers that are on national forest property. Important: National forests often contain Wilderness areas too – for example, the Ansel Adams Wilderness and Hoover Wilderness border Yosemite. Do not fly in designated wilderness (it’s illegal, similar to the park wilderness rules) nps.gov. But in non-wilderness forest zones, recreational drone use is typically fine. Always double-check for any temporary flight restrictions (like wildfire-related TFRs) or local forest orders that might restrict drones, but otherwise forests are your best bet.
• BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Lands: BLM manages a lot of open land in California, especially east of the Sierra. If you venture a bit further east of Yosemite (in the Owens Valley or high desert areas), you’ll find BLM territories where drone flight is permitted. BLM lands are often less visited and have fewer rules about drones (aside from obvious safety and wildlife considerations). They are great for wide-open flying. Just like with forests, avoid any wilderness-designated areas or wildlife refuges under BLM management. But generally, BLM’s policy is permissive – as long as you’re following FAA regulations, you can fly on BLM land uavcoach.com.
• Outside Park Vantage Points: There are some spots just outside Yosemite that offer views into the park and could be launch sites (legally) since you’d be on non-NPS land. For instance, some overlooks on Forest Service land near Yosemite’s boundaries might let you see features like Half Dome or Yosemite Valley from afar. If you launch from there, you’re not violating NPS rules. However, use extreme caution – if your drone crosses into the park airspace and then lands (or crashes) inside the park, that could still get you in trouble. Maintaining clear control and keeping the drone within line of sight (and outside the park boundary) is crucial. Essentially, you don’t want to play border games – but it’s useful to know that right up to the park border on other public lands, drone flight is legal.
• California State Parks and Recreation Areas: Some state-managed parks or recreation areas exist in the broader Yosemite region (for example, Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve to the east, or various state historic parks in the Gold Country to the west). California State Parks do allow drones in many of their units by default, except where a specific posted order prohibits them parks.ca.gov. Many state parks do have such local bans in place (especially ones with sensitive wildlife or heavy visitation), so you must check the specific park’s rules. State wilderness areas, natural preserves, and cultural preserves are off-limits to drones by state law parks.ca.gov. But in a regular state recreation area or state park without a posted drone restriction, you could potentially fly. Always contact the park office or check their website beforehand – California tends to be cautious with drones, and rules can vary. If allowed, follow all the standard FAA guidelines and be respectful of other visitors.
• Local/Regional Parks and Private Sites: Outside the Yosemite area, there might be county parks, open space preserves, or private lands designated for RC flying. For example, some counties have model aircraft fields or clubs where drone pilots are welcome. While these might not have Yosemite’s grandeur, they can be good safe places to practice flying. Always get permission if flying on private land, and adhere to any local ordinances (some counties or cities have their own drone laws about parks, etc.).

When flying in any of these alternative locations, keep in mind the same safety principles that apply anywhere:

• Maintain visual line of sight with your drone at all times.
• Don’t fly higher than 400 feet above ground level (as per FAA guidelines) parks.ca.gov.
• Avoid flying over people, crowded areas, or near busy roadways parks.ca.gov.
• Respect privacy – don’t hover over someone’s home or campsite without permission.
• Steer clear of wildlife; if animals are visibly disturbed by your drone, back off and give them space (harassing wildlife is illegal on any public land).
• Never fly near wildfires or firefighting operations (this is crucial in summer fire season – drones near fires will ground firefighting aircraft and result in huge penalties).
• Check Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) or local rules for any Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs). In areas around Yosemite, a common TFR would be for wildfires – drones are absolutely forbidden in wildfire TFRs and violators can face tens of thousands in fines from the FAA.

By choosing your flying location wisely, you can capture stunning nature footage legally. For instance, you might take your drone to Mono Lake (east of Yosemite), a surreal lake with tufas and mountain backdrops, which is outside the park (though parts are state reserve – so confirm where you can launch). Or explore the Stanislaus National Forest vistas on the Sierra crest north of Yosemite – you could get panoramic shots of the high country without entering the park. The experience can be just as rewarding, and you won’t be looking over your shoulder for rangers.

Lastly, if you’re ever unsure about where you can fly, a great habit is to consult resources like a state-by-state drone law directory or local drone user groups. For example, UAV Coach provides a “Where to Fly” city guide and a master list of drone laws by state uavcoach.com, which can help identify drone-friendly spots in California. Local drone clubs or online forums may also share tips on scenic but legal locations to fly near Yosemite.

In conclusion, Yosemite National Park itself must remain a no-fly zone for your drone – but the adventure doesn’t end there. By heading to adjacent lands and obeying the rules, you can still enjoy the thrill of flying and capture amazing footage of California’s wilderness without breaking any laws. Always “know before you go” – check the regulations of wherever you plan to fly – and you’ll stay out of trouble while indulging your drone hobby. Happy (and legal) flying!

Sources: National Park Service regulations and Yosemite park statements nps.gov nps.gov nps.gov; UAV industry guides and news on national park drone bans uavcoach.com uavcoach.com; California State Parks drone policy parks.ca.gov; and FAA drone rules thedroneu.com.