Flying legally in Colorado,Utah and Palm Springs

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Hi everyone.
I am planning a road trip soon traveling through Colorado , Utah and on to Palm Springs,CA. I am looking to fly my drone in or near the Rocky Mountains. I know I am not allowed to fly in State or Nation Parks. But I was hoping for some input on where to fly legally. Also in Palm Springs. Thanks for any input.
 
I fly a lot in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, so I keep abreast of the rules.

On BLM and US Forest Service land, you can fly anywhere within FFA guidelines and rules, unless it is posted otherwise, which is rare. In addition, you can fly on National Monuments and National Recreation Areas that are administered by the BLM, which is usually the smaller and more obscure ones. Check in advance to see which agency is running the place.

National Monuments and National Recreation Areas run by the National Park Service are totally off limits to drones, as are National Parks. So, drone rules in federal parks vary with the managing agency, not the title of the park.

State parks in Utah each have their own drone rules, so you have to check with each park office separately. For example, Dead Horse Point State Park allows drones during winter months with a $25 fee, but they're prohibited in other seasons. Goosenecks of the San Juan State Park is so small and lightly visited that it is hard to find the right person to talk to, so I fly first and ask forgivness later. Etc.

I don't know policies for state parks in Arizona and New Mexico.

Native American lands seem to work this way: If a visit permit is required, for example Monument Valley, drones are prohibited. If a permit is not required, check with the local town, chapter house, or village. In really remote areas, nobody seems to care.

But in all areas, including private lands, FAA authority applies.
 
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There aren’t too many spots in Palm spring “I’m there right now” but there is a airplane museum and planes fly below 400 ft all the time so I highly recommend you don’t fly there. In the Utah mountains as long as you aren’t in a National Park your fine “I live there” and the same goes for Colorado with Utah.
 
One more I was flying in Palm Springs the other day I called the airport and used the B4UFly app take off start flying and see a military plane drone the air and space museum flying 300 ft above my heading my drones direction immediately land the aircraft and call it a day.
 

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