Yellowstone Drone Flies Again Over Grand Prismatic—Possible Repeat Offender Sparks Outrage

Here’s the drone drama Yellowstone didn’t need: an illegal flight above the Grand Prismatic—sparked outrage and penalties

A new video posted by the popular Instagram account Tourons of Yellowstone has ignited fresh outrage after showing a visitor operating a drone over the Grand Prismatic Spring inside Yellowstone National Park—an activity strictly prohibited under federal law. The account claims the operator is the same individual previously accused of flying a drone into an osprey nest earlier this year, though this has not been independently confirmed.

Video Shows Apparent Violation of Federal Drone Ban

The footage begins with a drone visible against the sky before cutting to a man controlling it from a boardwalk, with a woman standing nearby. Tourons of Yellowstone alleged in the caption:

“Same couple who flew the drone into the osprey nest. Drones are illegal in Yellowstone. Leave your drones at home.”

Commenters quickly condemned the incident, calling for lifetime bans from U.S. national parks or fines exceeding the current maximum penalty. However, the drone pilot’s identity remains unverified due to the video’s low resolution and the absence of publicly released details from the earlier osprey nest case.

Why Drones Are Prohibited in U.S. National Parks

The National Park Service (NPS) banned drone use across all national parks in June 2014, citing significant risks to visitor safety, park tranquility, and wildlife. According to the NPS, drones can cause disruptive noise, disturb sensitive habitats, and harass wildlife, especially in ecologically fragile areas like Yellowstone.

The ban is enforced under 36 CFR § 1.5, which grants the NPS authority to regulate activities in national parks. Limited exceptions exist for scientific research, search and rescue missions, and administrative operations, but all require prior written approval from the park superintendent.

Penalties and Global Context

Violating the NPS drone ban can result in fines of up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail. While some see these penalties as severe, they are comparatively modest internationally. For example, Canada imposes fines up to $25,000 CAD (about $18,500 USD) for unauthorized drone flights in protected areas, and a recent case in Spain saw a British tourist potentially facing a €215,000 (about $233,000 USD) fine for flying a drone during a public festival.

Unanswered Questions

At this stage, Yellowstone officials have not confirmed whether the drone operator in the Grand Prismatic video has been identified or whether it is indeed the same person from the earlier osprey nest disturbance. If it is the same individual, the incident could spark calls for harsher consequences, including permanent bans from national parks, given the apparent disregard for prior penalties.

DroneXL’s Take

Whether or not this is a repeat offender, the incident underscores the ongoing challenge of enforcing drone regulations in sensitive environments. National parks remain some of the most drone-restricted areas in the U.S., and violations not only endanger wildlife but also risk fueling public and political pressure for even tighter restrictions on drone use nationwide. Education, enforcement, and responsible piloting remain the only path to keeping valuable flying privileges intact.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia and Tourons of Yellowstone.