I’ve written about drone photography/videography before. There are some amazing things that you can capture with a drone that likely wouldn’t be possible (or feasible) any way else. However, drone photography/videography also brings some nuisances, as well. At least, that’s how the National Parks Service sees it. They’ve recently issued a statement informing visitors that drones are banned inside the park’s 1,169 square miles.
Having never been to Yosemite (but planning to in the next ~18 months), I’m kind of glad to see the National Parks Service continuing to preserve this natural park. As a kid, my parents dragged me and my siblings to various state and national parks, and while it seemed much less cool than Disneyworld, I’m really glad – I’ve been able to see things that many people haven’t. As my daughters grow up, I definitely hope to show them these places, as well, as evidence of the beauty of nature, without ‘man’ around to mess it up.
Thus far, Yosemite seems to be the only place the National Parks Service has officially banned drones from, but it’s only a matter of time before other parks join in. It’s still early in the drone industry, as well – it’ll be interesting to see how they get regulated in the future.
Ricky Cadden 