Travelers fined $750 for taking photographs in a National Park under certain conditions

The US has some truly exceptional National Parks, but did you know, that if you’re not careful, you could be hit with a $750 fine for doing something you might have thought was totally permissible?

If you take a picture for commercial use in a National Park, you could be landed having to pay a big bill. But, visitors are welcome to take pictures of any park if only doing so on a phone or camera and for their personal use.

With the incredible vast vistas that exist in national parks - from open plains to deep ravines and towering mountains, visitors might to tempted to use a drone to capture video and photographs. This, however, is completely forbidden. 

Drones are banned across all 417 parks, 23 trails, and 60 rivers which are managed by the National Park Service. In most cases, you don’t need a permit to take a photograph though there are some exceptions.

If you are wanting to take photos in an area that might be closed to the general public or if you want to set up a prop for example a car, or even ‘dress’ an area, you will need a permit.

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If you’re shooting some stills or filming for an advertisement you will need a permit. All commercial filming needs a permit.  Without a permit, which can sometimes take weeks to obtain, filmmakers and videographers who monetize their content are liable for fines and permanent bans from national parks. This includes influencers.

Drones are banned across all 417 parks, 23 trails, and 60 rivers which are managed by the National Park Service. In most cases, you don’t need a permit to take a photograph though there are some exceptions.

If you are wanting to take photos in an area that might be closed to the general public or if you want to set up a prop for example a car, or even ‘dress’ an area, you will need a permit.