Maryland is a beautiful state to view by drone. Its abundant waterways and coastlines along Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean make for breathtaking scenes you won’t want to forget. And with drone footage, you don’t have to!
But before you start flying your drone in Maryland, you’ll need to make sure you’re up to date on federal, state, and local drone flying restrictions. We’ll go over them briefly before diving into where to fly.
Table of Contents
Drone Laws in Maryland - U.S. Federal Drone Laws
If you’re flying your drone recreationally, you need to first pass the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST). If your drone weighs more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams), you’ll then need to register your drone.
NOTE: This article is purely for entertainment purposes only. It is the responsibility of the pilot to properly research, follow, and abide to all local, state, or federal aviation laws. FAA permission may be required for flight within these listed locations.
If you’re flying your drone commercially, meaning for work or business, you need to first get familiar with Part 107 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which gives guidelines for flying small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). After that, you’ll need to pass a knowledge test and then register your drone as described above.
When it comes to actually flying your drone, you need to make sure you follow commercial and recreational use guidelines at all times. Always make sure you’re flying safely and legally, so you don’t have to worry about getting into any trouble. Also if you plan to fly in controlled airspace or around airports, you may need to get Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) authorization before flying. But don’t worry, you can get LAANC with the touch of a button with apps like Aloft.
Local and State Drone Laws for Maryland
Flying drones in National Parks and Maryland State Parks is illegal. Hence, you won’t see national or state parks listed in this post. But that’s okay because we’ll cover plenty of nature scenes in Maryland where flying drones is legal.
Lastly, the greater Washington, DC area has the most restricted airspace in the U.S. called the Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). Drones cannot fly within 15 miles of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport without specific FAA authorization. To fly within the 15- to 30-mile ring around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, your drone must stay below 400 ft., within your line-of-sight, and far from other aircraft. We strongly recommend you go over all the SFRA rules before flying.
Okay, we know that sounds like a lot of Maryland drone laws, but trust us, you’ll be glad you know them. Now let’s dive into the Top 7 Places to Fly a Drone in Maryland.
The Best Places to Fly a Drone in Maryland
Video Credit: Drone Therapy
1. Ocean City
First up, we’ve got Ocean City. This beautiful resort town between the Atlantic Ocean and Isle of Wight Bay is like something out of a dream. The entire city consists of 10 miles of beach running from Trimper’s Rides theme park all the way to the Delaware state line. In between you’ll find hotels and condos and a 3-mile wooden boardwalk lined with restaurants and shops.
If you raise your vantage point with a drone, you’ll see a bustling town and kayaks and sailboats off the shore skimming across the water. So there’s plenty of movement that makes Ocean City great for aerial videos. In fact, drones are so popular here that the city hosts its own Drone Shows to light up the sky for spectators.
Now, there are a few areas you’ll want to avoid when flying drones in Ocean City: Directly south-west there’s the Assateague Island National Seashore. It’s a protected sand barrier with wild horses and great camping, but drone flying is illegal there. A little further west, there’s also the Ocean City Municipal Airport. So be sure to not fly too close and interfere with air traffic.
Video Credit: Kevin Eassa
2. Chesapeake Beach
Next up, Chesapeake Beach is a small town on the Chesapeake Bay. The beach town has lots of marinas and piers and is known for its old Railway Station and Rail Trail, a wooden boardwalk that runs along an old railroad line popular for walking, running, and biking.
Getting an aerial view of Chesapeake Beach will give you some nice footage of its harbor that runs inland and feeds into Fishing Creek. You’ll also see a giant water park in the center of town. With the green Woodland Hills in the background, it’s a great place to get some picturesque shots.
Keep in mind that Chesapeake Beach is within the 15- to 30-mile ring of the Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). So keep your drone below 400 ft. and within your line-of-sight.
Video Credit: MyMaryland
3. Annapolis
North of Chesapeake Beach along the Chesapeake Bay you’ll find Annapolis, the capital city of Maryland. Its 18th-century colonial brick houses and trees that change color in the fall give it a unique Eastern charm. It offers many historic sites, fall festivals, and lots of boating and sailing.
Annapolis’s impressive structures include the 4.3-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a screw-pile lighthouse called the Thomas Point Shoal Light, and the old Maryland State House. Each of these can make for some impressive drone shots.
Be aware that you’re still within the SFRA 15- to 30-mile radius. So follow SFRA guidelines. On top of that, Annapolis is home to the US Naval Academy, so some parts of the city fall under the Department of Defense (DoD) National Security UAS Flight Restrictions (NSUFRs) and are off limits to drones.
Video Credit: Zoro Vision
4. Loch Raven Reservoir
Get out of the city a little bit and check out Loch Raven Reservoir. It’s a sprawling 3.75 square mile body of water just north of Baltimore. You can launch your drone almost anywhere along the bank to catch some beautiful shots of the pristine water and the surrounding forest.
You can also check out the Loch Raven Reservoir park to the north for even more trees. Just don’t get too close to the Eagle’s Nest Country Club or your drone might get hit by a golf ball!
On the south end, you’ll find the Loch Raven Dam, which is also great for capturing aerial shots. The massive amount of rushing water is an impressive sight for sure.
Video Credit: Blue Mantle Films
5. Baltimore
Baltimore is Maryland’s most populous city with nearly 600,000 residents. It’s a historic seaport town that offers upscale crab shacks, warships from the Civil War, and the National Aquarium. There’s lots to see here, especially if you can get above the skyline.
Try flying your drone around the city’s inner harbor, which holds the 166-year-old USS Constellation, the last sail-only US Navy warship. Or you can check out Patterson Park’s nice green fields with its oriental-looking Pagoda building. Fells Point has colorful quaint buildings, over 300 of which are on the National Register of Historic Places.
If you want to fly somewhere extra eerie, check out the Curtis Creek Ship Graveyard. It’s a group of abandoned, half-sunken ships that you can access through Jaws Marina. At twilight or dusk, this place can make for some incredible shots straight out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Baltimore has much more to offer than we can go over in this article, but you can read about a few more places to fly drones in the Top 7 Best Places to Fly a Drone in Baltimore. Take a few days to explore, and you’re sure to get some fantastic footage.
Video Credit: Drone Adventures
6. Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay
If you’re interested in seeing more abandoned ships, consider visiting the Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay. It’s on the Potomac River in Charles County and makes up the largest collection of shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere, a true “ship graveyard.” 230 ships from the US Shipping Board Merchant Fleet Corporation sunk here during the Great Depression.
Lots of people like to kayak among the ruins and observe the wildlife, but if you get up high enough with your drone, you can get an impressive view of all 230 ships that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
Again, note that Mallows Bay is within the 15- to 30-mile radius of DC SFRA. Plus, it’s near the Quantico Marine Corps Airfield, which falls under KNYG Airport class D airspace, which means you’ll need to get LAANC approval and keep your drone between 100 and 200 ft off the ground.
Video Credit: Jordan Lynam
7. Concord Point Light
Last up, we have the Concord Point Light in Havre de Grace, MD. Built in 1827, this lighthouse overlooks where the Susquehanna River flows into Chesapeake Bay. It’s the second oldest lighthouse in Maryland. The US Coast Guard decommissioned it in 1975 after 148 years of active service. Today, the lighthouse property is used for weddings and special events.
Try flying your drone up above the lighthouse to capture it from some unique angles with the Chesapeake Bay in the background. You might also wait until sunset or sunrise to catch some even more picturesque scenes.
At Concord Point Light, you’re in Class G airspace, so you don’t have to worry about any local drone flying restrictions. But note that one mile to your south-west you come up against Aberdeen Proving Ground, which has class d airspace.
Connect with Drone Pilots in Maryland
So there you have it! We hope you enjoy exploring Maryland from above.
If you want to connect with other drone pilots in Maryland, we recommend checking out the Maryland drone club on Facebook, the Drone Club at Anne Arundel Community College, or the Pegasus R/C Aircraft Club. That way, you can learn more about where to fly drones in Maryland from other enthusiasts.
And if you need some professional drone footage, you can reach out to The Drone Life. Our expert drone pilots know all the ins and outs of flying drones in Maryland.
This article is purely for entertainment purposes only. It is the responsibility of the pilot to properly research, follow, and abide to all local, state, or federal aviation laws. FAA permission may be required for flight within these listed locations.
