ok so this has been bugging me since the weekend. i drove like an hour out to this state park specifically to get some shots of this reservoir and a ranger came over within maybe 10 minutes of me setting up and told me i couldnt fly there. i had checked the FAA maps before i left and there was nothing flagging the area, no TFRs, wasnt near an airport, nothing. i even had my Part 107 on me. the ranger said the state park system has its own rules and basically federal airspace rules dont override park regulations. is that actually a thing? i felt like i was being hassled but i also dont want to be that guy who argues with a ranger and ends up on the news. has anyone dealt with this before

unfortunately the ranger is right and its one of the most frustrating things about flying recreationally in this country. the FAA controls the airspace but they dont control the land underneath it, so land managers like state parks, national parks, county parks, private property owners etc can all ban takeoff and landing on their property even if the airspace itself is totally clear. its kind of a legal grey area at the federal level but in practice courts have sided with land managers more often than not. your best bet before any trip is to check the specific park's website or call ahead, a lot of them have drone permit systems now. some state parks actually do allow it with a permit, just not random flying without permission

ugh yes this happened to me at a county park last summer. Part 107 doesnt really help you there, the ranger doesnt care about your FAA cert. i was annoyed but honestly the permit process for my state parks turned out to be pretty easy once i looked into it, like a one page form and a small fee. still kind of annoying when you just want to go fly but what can you do