Legends

National Parks And Wildlife Refuges

Areas that have been designated as wildlife refuges, national parks, and Forest Service areas are frequently shown on sectional charts so that pilots can do their part to protect the land and wildlife they contain. These refuge areas, such as the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, are marked on charts by solid blue lines with blue dots lining the interior of the enclosed areas. Pilots flying above one of these areas are asked to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface. While this restriction is voluntary, pilots are asked to comply in order to limit noise and reduce potential hazards-such as bird strikes-to aircraft and to those on the ground. Certain types of activities may be prohibited and mandatory flight restrictions may be imposed over some specially designated parks and wildlife areas, including Hawaii's Haleakala National Park, California's Yosemite National Park, and Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park.