Filming and Still Photography

Filming and Photography on State Park Land

How do I obtain a permit?

Filming on State Land is permitted through the California Film Commission, while coordinating with the state park film coordinator. For more information, please see this page.

What are the applicable fees?

Please see the State Parks and Recreation Fees dropdown on the California Film Commission State Permit and Monitor Fees page. 

What resources are available in the area?

Filming Resources:

The Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission is a robust resource for support crew staff, vendors, accommodations, and more. Please reach out to Cassandra Hesseltine at 707-502-0018.

Airports:

San Francisco (SFO) and Portland, Oregon (PDX) are the closest major airports, both are a 6-8 hour drive from the respective ends of the parks.

Medford, OR (MFR) is a 2-hour drive east of Jedediah Smith Redwoods. Eureka/Arcata, CA (ACV) airport is 1-hour drive south of Prairie Creek Redwoods.

Redding, CA airport (RDD) is about 4-hours east of Prairie Creek Redwoods.There is also an airport in Crescent City (CEC) that is 15-minutes from Jedediah Smith Redwoods, but flights are very limited.
 
 

 

Filming and Photography on National Park Land

When is a permit needed?

On January 4, 2025, the EXPLORE Act was signed into law (Public Law 118-234) and has been codified at 54 U.S.C. 100905. Section 125 of the Act changed how the National Park Service will manage filming, photography, and audio recording in park areas.

Key elements of the new law include:

• In most cases, permits and fees are not required for filming, still photography, or audio recording that involves eight or fewer individuals. In order to avoid permit and fee requirements, the filming, still photography, or audio recording must meet all of the following conditions:
  • Occurs in areas open to the public;
  • Uses hand-carried equipment only;
  • Does not require exclusive use of a site;
  • Does not adversely impact park resources, values, or other visitors; and
  • Is not likely to result in additional administrative costs for the National Park Service.
• Permits and fees are never required for filming, still photography, or audio recording that is associated with an activity or event that has been authorized under a written instrument (e.g., permit or agreement), such as a wedding, sporting event, demonstration or other activity.
• All filming, still photography, and audio recording is treated the same under the new law. It does not matter whether it is commercial, non-commercial, for content creation, by a student, or conducted by media or for news gathering.
• When a filming, still photography, or audio recording permit is required, the National Park Service will charge location fees and fees to recover its costs to administer the permit, including application fees.
• Individuals and groups conducting filming, still photography, or audio recording remain subject to all other laws and regulations applicable to visitors to park areas, including those requiring permits for certain activities (e.g., special events or demonstrations) and those prohibiting disturbance or other negative impacts to natural or cultural resources.
• Individuals and groups conducting filming, still photography, or audio recording are subject to entrance and/or recreation fees that may apply in park areas even when a permit is not required.

How to Apply

Please download the application and then submit to [e-mail].

Once the application is received, you will be contacted about next steps.

For applications that require a permit, an email to pay the $200 application fee will be sent through Pay.gov. 

For fastest processing, please ensure you are applying for national park locations [see the separate state park application process] and please fill out the application with as much detail as possible.

What are the applicable fees?

If a permit is needed, cost recovery fees may be assessed including monitoring and site visits. These fees will be estimated upon issuance of the permit and then adjusted and charged at the end of filming through Pay.gov. The application fee is $200. 

 

What Else Do I Need To Know?

We reserve the right to disapprove of any filming activities which may have adverse impact on park resources.

• Depiction of tree climbing activities and/or equipment, actual or implied, is not permitted.
• The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) is not allowed on National Park land. Drones are considered on a case-by-case basis on State Park land.
• The issuance of a filming permit is not, and does not imply, an endorsement of any product or service.
• Filming or photography of staff or volunteers requires prior approval.

Please keep in mind that our permits are issued on a non-exclusive basis, meaning that you may not exclude other visitors from the area during your project.

 

What about photography workshops?
If you are planning a photography workshop, you may need a commercial use authorization. See the commercial use authorization page for more information.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to call, or e-mail.

Permit Coordinator
Redwood National and State Parks
707- 465-7307

 

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