Best Places to Fly
Your Drone in Phoenix

Warning: Please do not fly your drone during the Super Bowl. There are active Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFFs) which make it illegal.

Butcher Jones Recreation Site is another wide-open space loved by drone fans. This site is part of the Tonto National Forest, but the biggest attraction is Saguaro Lake. It’s the fourth reservoir on the Salt River, surrounded by mountains and deep-rooted Mesquite trees. You may even get lucky and capture some wild horses on your aerial photography missions.

This park is one of the best places in the valley to fly your drone. When the plans for this park were first drawn up, the city planned to make a drone obstacle course. This might still be in development – but the status is not known.

Either way, there’s a lot to love about this park. It’s huge with tons of ramadas, barbecues, and a waterpark. The park also has pickleball, volleyball, and tennis courts. Additionally, there’s a 7 acre pond in the middle of the park that is stocked with a variety of fish.

This park has it all. The only downside, if there is one, is that you will need to get LAANC approval from the FAA to fly here because of the nearby airport.

This park might just be one of the best places in all of Phoenix to fly a drone. Other drone pilots regularly fly here and the views of the nearby North Mountain make it worth a visit. There’s large grass fields and a large desert area that you can fly over.

This is one of the parks the City of Phoenix has designated as drone-friendly.

Tonto National Forest is a short drive east of Phoenix via SR 87. The highlight for drone pilots would be the massive Tonto Basin overlooking the Theodore Roosevelt lake and surrounded by mountain ridges in all directions. Take note that Tonto National Forest has several Wilderness Areas (Four Peaks Wilderness, Superstition Wilderness) where drone flight is prohibited.

Both recreational and commercial drone flight is allowed in National Forests except in Wilderness Areas or when there is an active TFR. Operators are also advised to keep their drones at least 100 feet away from wildlife and to avoid noise-sensitive areas like campgrounds, trail heads, and visitor centers.

There’s conflicting information as to whether drones are permitted to takeoff and land from this park. We could not find any information on the City of Glendale website regarding drones. If the City of Glendale does not have other parks where drones are permitted, it may be violating ARS 13-3729. If you have any information please use the “Edit Article” feature to let us know.

Thunderbird Conservation is an expansive desert park outside Phoenix. It covers around 1,185 acres and is full of wildlife, home to many species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. The valley views from the peak are breathtaking and diverse. Drone pilots into hiking and mountain biking can record themselves using Follow Me modes against the magnificent backdrop.

This park is separated in two by a road. The Northern portion mostly consists of a dog park, while the Southern part is large empty field.

This park is designated as drone-friendly by the City of Phoenix. You will need to get airspace approval from LAANC to fly here because of the nearby Deer Valley airport.

Buckeye’s Skyline Regional Park is an incredible mountain preserve that spans 8,700 acres. The park is situated in the southern White Tank Mountains and boasts some easily accessible trails. This is a popular, scenic spot for folks who love being outdoors, including drone enthusiasts. It’s a beautiful spot for fun flying or to capture the mountainous landscape.

Although drones are not permitted at the main Fountain Hills park, they are at this nearby location. This park has big open grass areas and it’s worth a visit if you are in the area.

This park has 21 tennis courts and several baseball fields. There’s also a small pond on the East side.

The only downside to this park is that you need airspace approval from the FAA to fly here because of the nearby Scottsdale Airpark. Fortunately, you can request approval using LAANC.

Frequented by fixed-wing model aircraft pilots, this park features a lot of flat space. The park is relatively small and it’s adjacent to the Loop 101 freeway.

Superstition Airpark is an Academy of Model Aeronautics club located in Mesa. You need to be a member to use their facilities. They have a paved runway suitable for fixed-wing drones.

This small park has approximately 4 areas to sit. There are no restrooms here, but it is designated as a drone-friendly park by the City of Phoenix.

If you live nearby, this might be a good place to practice your drone flying. You will need to get LAANC approval from the FAA to fly here.

This park is South Phoenix is designated by the City of Phoenix as drone-friendly. It is a square park that has large grass areas where you can take off and land. Much of the park is taken by two baseball fields.

Unfortunately, you can only fly up to 100 feet above ground at this park because in it’s Class B airspace for the Sky Harbor airport. You will need to get permission from LAANC to fly here.

This North Phoenix park is surrounded by homes. It’s a medium sized park with a large grass field in the center. It has a basketball and tennis court and is fairly busy at peak hours.

This park has been designated as “drone-friendly” by the City of Phoenix.

Nestled next to South Mountain, this quiet park has plenty of space to fly. The park has a mixture of grass and desert terrain.

This is one of the eight parks designated for drones by the City of Phoenix.

This small park is right next to the Loop 101 freeway, which might be a bit nerve-wracking for new drone pilots. The benefit is that there is plenty of obstruction-free space to takeoff and land. It’s one of eight parks officially designated as drone friendly by the City of Phoenix.

You need to get LAANC approval from the FAA to fly here. You should also note that the Deer Valley airport runway is very close to this park.

The Flying Field of the Arizona Model Pilot Society (AMPS) is located in the Adobe Dam Recreation Area north of Phoenix. It has a 600-foot long runway and a large open field dotted dotted by desert brush and trees. The scenery is not very picturesque, but the field is perfect for getting in hours of flight training. The large open space is perfect for launching and landing fixed-wing drones.

Esteban Park is a short drive from downtown Phoenix. The park’s grass fields in its northeast corner has a dedicated Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) field for model pilots. It’s a safe and spacious area to practice flying and zoom in on one’s filming skills. The park offers some impressive city skyline views for aerial drone photographers.