Best places to fly drones in Tennessee
Federal FAA rules apply statewide: stay under 400 feet, keep your drone in sight, and get LAANC approval near airports. On top of that, Tennessee State Parks bans drones in state parks and state natural areas except in rare cases, and the National Park Service bans them in the Great Smoky Mountains and Chattanooga's military park. Your best legal options are Army Corps designated areas, permitted city flying fields and FAA-recognized club fields.
Cities
Top spots in Tennessee
Cane Ridge Park Flying Field
Chattanooga RC Club Summit Air Field
Chickamauga Battlefield (GA)
Edwin Warner Park Model Airplane Field
Falling Water RC Flying Club Field
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Harrison Bay State Park
Knox County RC Society Field
Mass Zero FPV Field
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
Memphis Prop Busters Field (Arlington)
Memphis Propbusters Field (Battlefront Rd)
Millington Barnstormers Field
Nat Caldwell Park
Norris Dam State Park
Peeler Park Flying Field
Point Park, Lookout Mountain
Radnor Lake State Natural Area
Sanders Ferry Park
Shelby Farms Park Drone Zone
Signal Point
Smoky Mountain Aero Club Field
T.O. Fuller State Park
Volunteer Aero Modelers Field
Tennessee drone laws
- Fly under 400 feet and keep the drone within your visual line of sight.
- Recreational pilots must pass the FAA's free TRUST test. Drones over 250 grams must be registered with the FAA.
- Get LAANC authorization before flying in controlled airspace around airports.
- At Army Corps lakes in the Nashville District, recreational drones are allowed only at designated locations.
- On TVA land, drones are allowed over undeveloped land but banned over developed areas like campgrounds, day-use areas and dam reservations.
State parks
Tennessee State Parks says drone use in state parks and state natural areas is prohibited except in rare circumstances. If you need an exception for a specific project, contact the park office before your visit.
No-fly areas
- All Tennessee state parks and state natural areas, unless the park grants an exception.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (National Park Service).
- Developed TVA land, including dam reservations, campgrounds, power plants and transmission lines.
- Army Corps lake land outside designated drone areas, and anywhere near locks, dams and swim beaches.
Tennessee drone FAQ
Can you fly a drone in Tennessee state parks?
Generally no. Tennessee State Parks prohibits drone use in state parks and state natural areas except in rare circumstances. Contact the park office before your visit if you need an exception.
Can you fly a drone in the Great Smoky Mountains?
Not inside the national park. The National Park Service prohibits launching, landing or operating drones on park land. NPS jurisdiction ends at the park boundary, and the FAA still controls the airspace.
Where can I legally fly a drone near Nashville?
Metro Parks allows drones only at three permitted flying fields (Edwin Warner, Cane Ridge and Peeler Park). The Army Corps also designates drone areas on Old Hickory and J. Percy Priest lakes, including Sanders Ferry Park and Nat Caldwell Park.