6 Amazing Places to Fly a Video Drone in Montana

My drone will definitely be grounded for the next couple of days, with near category 1 hurricane force winds expected for Billings, so I took some time to research places around the Treasure State where I would love to capture flyover video footage.

Before we explore places to fly, here are a couple of tips new drone owners definitely need to know to avoid civil and criminal penalties:

• If your drone weighs between .55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (25kg), it must be registered online. CLICK HERE to register your drone with the FAA.
• Drones weighing more than 55 pounds must be registered through the paper process (N-number). More information available from the FAA by clicking HERE.

To find out if you'll need to register your drone for certain uses, the Federal Aviation Administration provides a User Identification Tool that's is available by clicking HERE.

Now, on to the amazing places around the Treasure State where we can capture video footage with a drone.

Of course, the first place I thought about flying over was Yellowstone National Park, but after a quick search, I discovered that "the launching, landing, or operation of unmanned aircraft" has been prohibited since 2014.

Small drones have crashed in geysers in Yellowstone National Park, attempted to land on the features of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, been lost over the edge of the Grand Canyon, and been stopped from flying in Prohibited Airspace over the Mall in Washington DC. -National Park Service

The National Forest Service does allow "responsible hobby or recreational use" of drones on most NFS lands. One of my first drone flights I'm planning this spring is to Mystic Lake.

Black Canyon Lake, Hyalite Reservoir, Beehive Basin, and Flathead Lake are also on my future drone flight plan. Check out these drone flights courtesy of AirVuz.com:

Earlier this month, I took this footage just before sunset over a frozen Deadman's Basin Reservoir.

And a drone flight over Beartooth Pass, after the scenic highway opens around Memorial Day, will definitely be worth a trip.

Remember these 10 Incredible Waterfalls that are within a 3-hour drive of Billings? Imagine what a drone video flying over the falls will look like. It's coming soon to this website / mobile app in 2021! Check back often.