Regulations · Recreational drone
The Verdon is every drone pilot’s dream — and it’s precisely one of the most regulated skies in Provence. There is no single blanket ban across the whole territory, but between military zones, dams, reserves and vulture cliffs, a large part of the gorges is either forbidden or heavily restricted. Here is the regulation, zone by zone, and the reflexes to have before you take off.
In brief: flying is tightly regulated, not free.
Before taking off in the Verdon, three reflexes: check the Géoportail map at the precise location, avoid cliffs during the nesting season (mid-December to late August), and register on AlphaTango if your drone carries a camera or weighs more than 250 g.
The Parc naturel régional du Verdon publishes a drone flight guide. No unauthorised aircraft may fly over these areas:
Castillon, Chaudanne, Sainte-Croix, Quinson and Gréoux: no flying where EDF has put up its “Survol de l’ouvrage interdit” (no overflight of the structure) signs — the Park’s guide notes that these sites fall outside the national rules and that the signs are not everywhere.
Surroundings forbidden: Puimoisson, Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon and Vinon-sur-Verdon.
A vast area in the south-east of the territory — flying over it is completely forbidden.
A sensitive industrial site on the edge of the Park — flying over it is forbidden.
At La Palud-sur-Verdon — flying over it is forbidden, to avoid disturbing wildlife.
The territory lies largely within a low-altitude tactical flight zone used by Defence helicopters. On weekdays, flying is permitted up to a maximum of 50 m above ground level (not 120 m). This limit is not active at weekends and on public holidays — but all the other restrictions remain in force.
To protect nesting raptors — griffon vultures, eagles — the Park closes to overflight: the crests and cliffs (pink zones) from mid-December to late August, and the forested and cultivated areas (blue zones) from mid-March to late August. This is the period when almost the entire spectacular canyon is affected.
Recreational drones fall under the “open category”. These rules apply in the Verdon as everywhere else, in addition to the local restrictions above.
Flight height capped at 120 m above ground level nationally — but often lowered in the Verdon (see the VOLTAC zone above).
The drone must remain visible to the naked eye. Night flying is forbidden, even with position lights.
Never over a gathering of people, nor over public spaces within built-up areas. Flying over people is tolerated only for a drone under 250 g (class C0); from 250 g (class C1) it is forbidden (service-public.fr, sheet F34630).
The operator must register on AlphaTango (the “FRA…” number must be affixed to the aircraft) as soon as the drone carries a camera or weighs 250 g or more. Online training (a 40-question exam) is mandatory from 250 g (class C1); it is optional but recommended for a drone under 250 g (class C0), even with a camera.
Mandatory for any drone over 800 g (threshold read on service-public.fr).
Do not publish images in which people are recognisable without their consent.
Official links: Verdon Park drone guide · Géoportail restrictions map · flight rules (service-public.fr).
There is no single ban covering the whole territory, but the rules are very strict. The cliffs and crests are closed during the raptor nesting season (mid-December to late August), the Saint-Maurin nature reserve is forbidden, a military zone (VOLTAC) limits flight to 50 m above ground level over most of the Park on weekdays, and the surroundings of the 5 dams, the 3 aerodromes, the Canjuers camp and the CEA Cadarache are forbidden. In practice, a large part of the gorges is either forbidden or heavily restricted.
Register, yes; train, not always. As soon as a drone carries a camera (a personal-data sensor) or weighs 250 g or more, the operator must register on AlphaTango (the DGAC’s portal), and the “FRA…” number you receive must be affixed to the aircraft. The online training — a 40-question exam with 75% correct answers required — is mandatory only from 250 g (class C1); for a drone under 250 g (class C0) it is optional but recommended (service-public.fr, sheet F34630).
120 m above ground level nationally. But in the Verdon, the VOLTAC military zone lowers this limit to 50 m above ground level over most of the territory on weekdays (it is not active at weekends and on public holidays), and some zones are completely forbidden. Always check the allowed height on the Géoportail map at the precise spot.
Not during nesting. The crests and cliffs (shown in pink on the Park’s map) are sensitive from mid-December to late August and must not be overflown, to protect nesting raptors — griffon vultures, eagles. The LPO points out that the Verdon’s vultures are very sensitive to disturbance at their breeding sites.
Three reflexes: the Géoportail “Restrictions UAS” map (national), the Parc naturel régional du Verdon’s sensitive-zones map (nesting, reserves), and the town hall for local orders. Note: temporary restrictions (NOTAM) and some local orders do not appear on the Géoportail.
For recreational use that stays within the open category, no individual declaration is required. A prior declaration to the prefecture concerns flights in populated areas (professional use, specific category). The prefect may forbid or restrict a flight for reasons of public order or safety.
The external sources this page relies on, one click away. We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
Official reference for the rules that apply to private individuals, including the use of recreational drones and the related formalities.
Official IGN mapping, including the layer showing flight restrictions for recreational drones.
The area’s managing authority: regulations by environment (land, aquatic, vertical), bivouacking and camping, fire, drones, advice from the Park rangers.
All 3 links responded during our last automated check, on 29 October 2026. A broken link is removed, never left in place.
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