Can I Fly a Drone in a National Park or Campsite? 2026

The short answer by state

CASA sets the national rules for flying a drone for fun. The park agency or land manager then adds its own, and those are usually stricter, so check the one for the park you are camping in.

CASA's rules for flying for fun

CASA says you do not need a licence or accreditation to fly for fun, and that registration of recreational drones over 250 g is on hold. The rules that apply are these: fly no higher than 120 m above ground level, keep the drone in sight with your own eyes, fly only in daylight, and fly only one drone at a time.

Keep the drone at least 30 m from other people and never fly over anyone. Do not fly in a populous area, which CASA defines as anywhere people are living or gathered for a purpose, and says includes parks, beaches, roads and festivals. A drone over 250 g must stay out of 5.5 km of a controlled airport, and you must not fly over or near emergency operations such as firefighting. CASA recommends checking a CASA-verified drone safety app before each flight.

Parks where the answer is no

Parks Victoria says members of the public cannot fly drones for recreation on land it manages, and visitors who do may be fined. Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service says the operation and use of drones by visitors on reserved land, including national parks, is not permitted, with exceptions only for commercial and event filming and scientific research. In the ACT, flying a drone is prohibited in nature conservation reserves, which include Namadgi.

In South Australia it is an offence to fly a drone over national parks, conservation parks, game reserves, recreation parks or regional reserves without a permit, and permits are considered only for scientific research and commercial filming or photography. Two Commonwealth parks go further. Kakadu prohibits drones except under a management plan or a park permit, and says permits are not issued for recreational use. Uluru-Kata Tjuta is a no-drone park where use is approved only in exceptional circumstances after consultation with the Central Land Council.

Where you can ask for permission, or fly with conditions

In NSW, NPWS requires approval to launch, land or operate a drone from within a park for recreation. You apply with the NPWS form, first checking that the park is not a drone exclusion area, and NPWS may refuse or add conditions. Park alerts override any approval, and the Kosciuszko plan of management prohibits recreational drones across the whole park.

In Western Australia, DBCA says recreational drone use in parks needs no department approval, provided you follow CASA's rules, do not disturb wildlife or other visitors, avoid emergency operations, and contact the district office before each flight. The Swan Canning Riverpark needs a separate permit. In the Northern Territory, some parks need an operation of aircraft permit, some sites have their own flying limits, and a Territory permit is not valid in Kakadu or Uluru-Kata Tjuta.

At the campsite itself

In Queensland, drones are prohibited in all camping areas in protected areas, recreation areas and forests, and QPWS says to keep any drone you have stored in a container in your vehicle or vessel. It is also an offence to fly one into a drone restriction area from outside it.

Elsewhere, the park rules above apply to the campground as well, and a campground is a place where people gather, which makes CASA's 30 m and populous-area rules hard to meet. On other land, such as a holiday park or a private campground, ask the manager before you fly.

What to do instead

Leave the drone in the vehicle and take photos from the ground, from lookouts and from walking tracks. If you want footage of a park where approval is possible, apply early: NSW requires approval before you launch, and any NT permit has to be in hand before you fly.

Parks Victoria and Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service both give disturbance to wildlife as a reason for their rules, and WA asks flyers not to disturb wildlife. If the answer is a clear no, the lawful option is to not fly.

Check this rule at the place in AussieCamps

Open a campground in AussieCamps and its place page shows the facilities, fees, rules and access notes drawn from park agencies, road authorities and public datasets. That is a prompt to look up the park agency's drone rule, not an answer to it. The app lists 1,838 campgrounds and 745 national parks; stored details open without coverage, and the map, weather and photos need a connection. It is for iPhone only.

The app does not replace the official rule. Confirm with the park agency or land manager before you fly.

Places along the way