so this is something that happened a few weeks ago and its still bugging me. i was at a state park in colorado, nothing too crazy just wanted to get some landscape shots, and a park ranger came over and told me i wasnt allowed to fly there and that i had to put it away. i didnt argue because i didnt want any trouble but i honestly wasnt sure if she was actually right or just assuming. i looked it up later and i couldnt really find a clear answer, like some places say state parks ban drones and some say you need a permit. does anyone know how this actually works, like is it a blanket ban or does it vary by park

the ranger was right unfortunately. colorado parks and wildlife has a pretty broad ban on drone use in state parks and wildlife areas unless you get a special use permit ahead of time, and those arent easy to get for random recreational flying. its not a FAA thing its a land management thing, the park authority controls what happens on their land and drones fall under that. national parks are a full ban under NPS rules, state parks vary by state but a lot of them have gone the same direction in the last few years especially in places with sensitive wildlife. its annoying but theres not much you can do except find out before you go. sometimes there are nearby areas outside park boundaries where you can fly legally and still get decent shots

this happened to me in utah last summer, different state but same situation. i actually called ahead next time and even the person on the phone at the park wasnt totally sure so i got it in writing via email lol. the rules genuinely are a mess and even the people enforcing them sometimes dont know exactly whats allowed. i think the safest move is always check the specific park website and if its not clear just email them before you go. takes 5 minutes and saves a lot of awkwardness. also some parks have designated areas where its okay which most people dont know about