Flying Drones in Cleveland Metroparks

Cleveland Metroparks has drone regulations which specify what, where, and when you can fly a drone in their regional parks. I created this page to provide some additional information about those sites, and distill their regulations page into a table that’s easy to understand and use. The least restrictive sites are listed toward the top of the table.

There are three sites specified for year-round flying, plus six golf course fairways listed as available for drone use in the winter (November 1 to March 15). Except for those sites, it is against Metroparks’ rules to fly drones anywhere in the parks. All drones must weigh less than 4.4 lbs (2 kg).

Beyond Metroparks’ rules there are FAA airspace restrictions, which means some of these sites can never be used. Known airspace restrictions are noted below. I do my best to keep this list up to date, but you should consult an app such as B4YouFly or Airmap or Kittyhawk for temporary airspace restrictions (NOTAMs, TFRs, etc) and the most current information.

Site	Available	Map	Airspace	Notes
Polo Fields at South Chagrin Reservation	Year Round	(map)	-	-
Top O' Ledges at Hinkley Reservation	Year Round	(map)	-	-
Main Street Diamond at Mill Stream Run	Year Round	(map)	FAA Authorization Required (Hopkins). Max altitude 300 ft. AGL	See site notes.
Fairways at Seneca Golf Course	Nov 1 - Mar 15	(map)	-	See golf course notes, below.
Fairways at Washington Golf Course	Nov 1 - Mar 15	(map)	FAA Authorization Required (Burke)	See golf course notes, below.
Fairways at Little Met Golf Course	NOT ALLOWED	(map)	Authorization unavailable due to LAANC altitude limits.
Fairways at Big Met Golf Course	NOT ALLOWED	(map)	Authorization unavailable due to LAANC altitude limits.
Fairways at Mastick Woods Golf Course	NOT ALLOWED	(map)	Authorization unavailable due to LAANC altitude limits.
Fairways at Shawnee Hills Golf Course	NOT ALLOWED	(map)	Drone Use Prohibited due to CVNP airspace restrictions.	-

Golf Course Notes

When flying on golf courses, be sure to follow these additional restrictions:

Must not interfere with any other users’ activities (snowshoeing, XC skiing, etc.)
Not permitted from any course greens or tees
Not permitted if course is open for golf
Not permitted Mar 16 – Oct 31
Not permitted at Sleepy Hollow or Manakiki courses