Can I fly a drone at Mount Rainier National Park?
Washington's iconic 14,411-ft volcano. The mountain dominates the Pacific Northwest skyline, and the park surrounding it is strictly off-limits to drones.
Why drone pilots want to shoot here
The Mountain itself from Reflection Lakes. Paradise meadows in summer. Sunrise from the Sunrise area. The Nisqually Glacier.
Where you CAN fly nearby
Adjacent USFS, BLM, and state-managed land that typically permits drone use with appropriate rules.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest (WA)
Adjacent USFS land south. Drones allowed in non-Wilderness areas. Similar alpine-and-glacier scenery from approaches outside the park.
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
North side of Rainier. Drones permitted with USFS rules.
Crystal Mountain Resort (private, with permission)
Year-round access; verify resort policy before flying.
FAQ — Mount Rainier National Park
Can I fly drones at Paradise or Sunrise?
No. Both are inside Mount Rainier NP. NPS ban applies.
What about flying from outside the park to capture the mountain?
From Gifford Pinchot or Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF non-Wilderness areas, yes. The drone must remain outside park airspace.
Can I fly above the alpine lakes?
Park lakes (Reflection, Tipsoo) are inside the park boundary. Drone ban applies.
Are wilderness areas different?
Mount Rainier NP and adjacent Wilderness areas in the surrounding national forests both ban drones — different statutes, same outcome.
Other national parks
Park boundaries can be irregular. Verify the boundary of any alternative location before flying — adjacent USFS / BLM Wilderness areas have their own drone ban under different statute. Altoa is not the FAA or NPS.