Best Places to Fly
Your Drone in Dover

Bennett’s Pier Beach is not exactly exceptional as far as beaches go. Aside from enjoying a tranquil walk, there’s not much else to do here as there are no commercial facilities or amenities. Fortunately, this also means that the beach rarely draws a crowd. This is beneficial for drone pilots who want to fly their drones in peace and away from the inquisitive minds of strangers.

A very popular hiking spot, the Fork Branch Nature Preserve is one of the few places in Dover that is outside of controlled airspace. The trail through the woodland is relatively flat so it should be easy to find a good spot to launch your drone. Take note that the tree cover is very thick in some places, and there are a lot of birds in some areas. It is recommended to fly your drone close to the road to avoid disturbing the wildlife.

Silver Lake is a large open area in central Dover. There are lots of public areas surrounding the lake that serve as parks, picnic grounds, or walking trails where you can safely launch your drone. There is little open space outside of the lake, though, so you need to be comfortable flying your drone over water.

Moores Lake is significantly smaller than Silver Lake but is also less busy. The lake is mostly surrounded by trees so there are not many options for launching or landing a drone. However, the reflection of the trees on the lake is the real highlight of this spot for aerial photography. It is also lovely to catch photos of Moores Lake during sunset.

Big Oak County Park, a short drive north from downtown Dover, is home to the Delaware Aerospace Education facility and museum. The park has a wide open space perfect for drone flight. Take note that you will need to apply for a Special Use Permit to fly a drone in Big Oak County Park, but applying for one is free.

Kesselring County Park close to central Dover features open fields perfect for drone flight and a small lake for water photography. With a large road cutting through the park and several walking trails, the park offerrs lots of options for where you can fly and the photos you can capture. Like Big Oak County Park, flying a drone in Kesselring County Park also requires you to get a Special Use Permit.