Flying a drone at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Knoxville
Can you fly a drone here?
No. Great Smoky Mountains is a national park, and the National Park Service prohibits launching, landing or operating drones on park land. Fly at a legal spot outside the park instead.
- Status
- No-fly
- Airspace
- Class G
- LAANC
- Not required
- Land manager
- National Park Service
Drone rules at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- The National Park Service prohibits launching, landing or operating drones on land and water it manages.
- NPS jurisdiction ends at the park boundary, and the FAA still controls the airspace.
- Exceptions require a special use permit from the park superintendent and are rare.
Nearby restrictions
- Check for temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) in a LAANC or B4UFLY app before every flight.
Getting there
Pin shows Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg. The ban covers the whole park.
Sources
↗ National Park Service: unmanned aircraft in the national parks↗ FAA UAS Facility Map dataGreat Smoky Mountains National Park drone FAQ
Can you fly a drone at Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
No. Great Smoky Mountains is a national park, and the National Park Service prohibits launching, landing or operating drones on park land. Fly at a legal spot outside the park instead.