Legends

On sectional charts Special Conservation Areas are delineated by a cyan (blue) line with a single line of dots on the inside of the prescribed area. Usually, these areas are national parks, wildlife refuges, and primitive and wilderness areas. The area's name is adjacent to the depicted area. The example is the Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior, north of Michigan's upper peninsula.

Generally, pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above ground level when flying over special conservation areas. FAA Advisory Circular 91-36, "VFR Flight Near Noise-Sensitive Areas," defines the surface of national park areas (effectively, special conservation areas) as "the highest terrain within 2,000 feet laterally of the route of flight, or the uppermost rim of a canyon or valley."

You can't land on land or water administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the U.S. Forest Service without authorization from whichever of these agencies is responsible for that area. The only exceptions to the landing restrictions are emergency landings, approved official business of the federal government, and landings at officially designated sites. Other notes may be posted next to the area, as in the example.