36 C.F.R. § 3.9 – May I operate my personal watercraft (PWC) in park waters?

(a) A person may operate a PWC only in park areas where authorized by special regulation. Special regulations may only be promulgated in the 21 parks listed in the following table:

Name	Water type	State
Amistad National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	TX
Assateague Island National Seashore	Open Ocean/Bay	MD/VA
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	MT
Big Thicket National Preserve	River	TX
Cape Cod National Seashore	Open Ocean/Bay	MA
Cape Lookout National Seashore	Open Ocean/Bay	NC
Chickasaw National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	OK
Cumberland Island National Seashore	Open Ocean/Bay	GA
Curecanti National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	CO
Delaware Water Gap	River	PA/NJ
Fire Island National Seashore	Open Ocean/Bay	NY
Gateway National Recreation Area	Open Ocean/Bay	NY
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	AZ/UT
Gulf Islands National Seashore	Open Ocean/Bay	FL/MS
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore	Natural Lake	IN
Lake Mead National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	AZ/NV
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	TX
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	WA
Padre Island National Seashore	Open Ocean/Bay	TX
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore	Natural Lake	MI
Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area	Impounded Lake	CA

(b) Where authorized, operation of a PWC on park waters is subject to the following conditions:
1. (1) No person may operate a PWC unless each person aboard is wearing a Type I, II, III, or V PFD approved by the United States Coast Guard.
2. (2) A person operating a PWC equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard-type engine cut-off switch must attach such lanyard to his person, clothing, or PFD, as appropriate for the specific vessel.
3. (3) No person may operate a PWC anytime between sunset and sunrise.
4. (4) No person may operate a PWC by jumping the wake, becoming partially airborne or completely leaving the water while crossing the wake of another vessel within 100 feet of the vessel creating the wake.
5. (5) If a park area is located within a State that has more restrictive regulations for the operation of PWC, then applicable State law applies in lieu of paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(4) of this section.