National Parks Welcome Filmmakers Under New Explore Act, But Drone Restrictions Remain

O U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has significantly eased restrictions on filming and photography within National Parks under the newly enacted Explore Act, signed into law in January 2025. However, the legislation explicitly maintains the existing ban on drone operations within park boundaries, highlighting the ongoing tensions between creative freedom and preservation concerns in America’s protected lands.

Streamlined Filming Permissions

The Explore Act eliminates permit requirements for small-scale filming operations involving fewer than six people, provided they follow specific guidelines designed to protect park resources and visitor experiences. This marks a substantial shift from previous regulations that required permits and fees for most commercial filming activities.

Under the new framework, content creators can now film using handheld equipment, including cameras, tripods, monopods, and gimbals, without seeking prior authorization. This applies to both commercial and non-commercial content creation across all distribution platforms, including social media, YouTube, and traditional media outlets.

Drone Operations Still Prohibited

Despite the broadly permissive approach to ground-based filming, the legislation specifically addresses and reinforces the prohibition of unmanned aerial systems within national park boundaries. Section H of the Act explicitly requires compliance with “laws regarding the use of unmanned aerial equipment,” maintaining the NPS’s longstanding drone ban.

This continued restriction applies even in remote areas with minimal visitor traffic, such as the vast open spaces of Death Valley National Park, where drone operations might seemingly pose minimal disruption to Wildlife or visitor experiences.

Key Operational Guidelines

For permitted filming activities, the Act establishes several core requirements:

• No interference with visitor experiences or park operations
• No exclusive use of any area within the park
• No filming in high-traffic visitor areas
• Strict adherence to existing visitor policies
• Protection of cultural resources and environmental features
• Use of only handheld equipment without extensive production setups

Looking Forward

The maintenance of drone restrictions within national parks continues to spark debate within the creative community. While the Explore Act represents a significant step forward in accommodating modern content creation, the blanket prohibition on drone usage remains a point of contention, particularly in remote areas where environmental and visitor impact concerns might be minimal.

Any potential future changes to drone regulations would require coordination between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service, taking into account both airspace safety considerations and the NPS’s core mission of resource preservation.

For now, content creators must continue to plan their aerial shots from outside park boundaries while enjoying newfound freedom in ground-based filming operations within these protected landscapes.