okay so im planning a road trip out west in a few months and the grand canyon is obviously on the list. ive been flying my mini 3 pro for about a year now and i really want to get some footage there but every time i try to look up the rules i get a different answer. some sites say no drones at all, some say you can fly outside the park boundary, some guy on youtube said he got a permit no problem... i genuinely dont know what to believe.

has anyone actually done this recently? like within the last year or so? im not trying to get my drone confiscated or get a massive fine, just want to know what the actual situation is on the ground

yeah national parks are a no-go full stop, thats been the rule since like 2014. the boundary thing is real though - there are spots just outside the south rim where people fly but you gotta be careful because the airspace around there is complicated with all the tour helicopters. i went last spring and honestly just drove about 20 mins out toward desert view and found some spots on BLM land that were completely fine. footage was still insane, maybe even better because fewer tourists in the background

the permit thing is technically real but its almost impossible to get as an individual, its more for film productions. dont bother. the BLM land idea above is solid, i did something similar near zion. just download the B4UFLY app before you go and check it obsessively lol