Many pilots assume that national forests follow the same blanket drone prohibition as national parks. They do not. The distinction matters because the US has 193 million acres of national forest land across 44 states, and much of it is legally open to drone operations -- with important exceptions.
Who Manages What
National Parks are managed by the National Park Service (NPS) under the Department of the Interior. The NPS implemented a policy in 2014 that prohibits launching, landing, and operating unmanned aircraft within all National Park units by default, with individual superintendents able to grant exceptions via Special Use Permit. In practice, permits are rarely granted for recreational or commercial use.
National Forests are managed by the US Forest Service (USFS) under the Department of Agriculture. The USFS has no blanket national prohibition on drone operations. Individual forests can restrict drone use through specific orders, and certain areas within forests -- wilderness areas in particular -- are restricted. But the default is different: drone flight in national forests is generally permitted unless a specific order prohibits it.
This means the same drone operation that would be illegal in Yellowstone National Park might be perfectly legal in a national forest located just outside the park boundary.
What the USFS Rules Actually Say
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The Forest Service regulates activities on national forest land through the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR), forest-specific plans, and individual closure orders. Key points:
No blanket prohibition: There is no regulation at the national level prohibiting drone use across all national forests. Operations proceed under the same FAA airspace rules that govern any other location.
Wilderness areas: Areas designated as Wilderness under the Wilderness Act of 1964 are the most significant restriction. Wilderness areas prohibit "mechanized transport" and "mechanical equipment," and the USFS has interpreted this to include drones. Launching or operating a drone within a designated Wilderness area is prohibited. Many national forests contain Wilderness areas -- know which parcels are Wilderness before you fly near forest boundaries.
Special closure orders: Individual forests can and do issue closure orders that restrict drone operations. These are often issued seasonally (wildlife nesting, fire risk) or in response to specific events. Check the specific forest's website and contact the ranger district before any significant operation.
Organized events and commercial activities: Commercial drone operations on national forest land, or organized events involving drone flights, typically require a Special Use Authorization from the relevant ranger district. A solo commercial operator doing mapping work for a timber company is not the same as an organized drone racing event, but both may fall under the Special Use Authorization requirement depending on scope and visibility.
How to Check Before You Fly
- Identify the specific forest and ranger district where you plan to fly. The USFS website (fs.usda.gov) has maps for each forest.
- Check whether your target area is a designated Wilderness area. Forest maps clearly delineate Wilderness boundaries. If it is Wilderness, no drones.
- Search for active closure orders. Ranger district websites post closure orders. You can also call the district directly -- they are generally responsive to specific questions about drone operations.
- Run an airspace check. National forest land is almost always Class G airspace, but some forests are adjacent to or overlap with controlled airspace corridors. Check for any airspace restrictions or TFRs, especially during fire season when firefighting aircraft create TFRs that may not appear on standard drone apps until shortly before they take effect.
- Check for fire conditions. During high fire danger periods, USFS may restrict all use of equipment that could ignite fires, which can include drones. Stage 2 fire restrictions typically prohibit operating "motorized equipment" and have been applied to drones in some districts.
Commercial Work in National Forests
Part 107 operators doing commercial work in national forests face an additional layer: the USFS's Film Permit and Special Use Authorization requirements.
If your commercial drone operation involves:
- Advertising or commercial still/video production
- Organized filming crews
- Equipment staging on forest land
- Any activity that might be construed as a "commercial activity" on federal land
...you likely need a Special Use Authorization from the ranger district. The USFS's Film Permit program requires notification for small film projects and a permit for larger ones. The threshold is generally whether the activity could impede public access or whether it's for a commercial purpose.
Individual commercial drone pilots doing work that does not involve staging equipment on forest land, obstructing trails, or organized film crews often operate without a Special Use Authorization -- but this is a gray area and varies by district and ranger. When in doubt, contact the district office before the shoot.
What Is Typically Fine
Based on current USFS practice across most districts:
- Recreational flight in open, non-Wilderness forest areas with no active closure orders
- Solo commercial photography outside of special-use-intensive contexts
- Research and scientific operations with appropriate institutional backing
What Requires Closer Attention
- Any area adjacent to a Wilderness boundary (know exactly which side of the line you are on)
- Operations during fire season, especially when fire danger ratings are Extreme or Critical
- Commercial activities that could require Special Use Authorization
- Areas near endangered species habitat where USFS may have additional protective orders in place
The key difference from national parks: the USFS is approachable. Call the ranger district. Explain what you are planning. In most cases you will get a clear answer and, if your operation is permissible, tacit approval. That is fundamentally different from the NPS default of "no" for drone operations everywhere.