so this happened last weekend at a state park, not even a national park now that i think about it. anyway i was setting up to fly along this ridge trail and a ranger walks over and i was fully prepared to pack it up and get a lecture. turns out he just wanted to make sure i wasnt flying over the bird nesting area on the north side which apparently is marked on their map but i had no idea about. he showed me on his phone where was ok and where wasnt and honestly it was a pretty chill conversation.

i think having my stuff organized helped - i had my registration printed out and the drone was clearly labeled. he didnt even ask for it but i think just being visibly prepared made me look less like someone who was gonna cause problems. flew for like an hour after that, got some incredible shots of the valley. moral of the story i guess is just dont be weird about it if someone approaches you

yeah most rangers ive dealt with are fine as long as you're not being an idiot about it. the ones at actual federal NPS land are more strict because the rules are actually different there - blanket ban unless you have a special use permit which is a whole thing. state parks vary a lot by state though so always worth checking their specific site before you go.

this is kind of reassuring honestly. im always so nervous when anyone walks over while im flying, i basically assume im about to get yelled at. good to know being prepared actually makes a difference