Best Locations for Paragliding in Utah

If there’s one state that’s made for paragliding it’s Utah. The geographic layout is perfect, there’s lots of canyons and mountains which provide plenty of shelter throughout the year. Winds in here are consistent and provide novice and intermediate pilots with the ability to launch at least 300 days a year. Paragliding in Utah is something all American paragliding enthusiasts aspire to.

And if you’re worried about jumping off a cliff, that’s fine. There’s plenty of sites with moderately angled hills for you to take a run-up from.

The thermalling here is also highly consistent. In fact it’s so consistent that paragliding locations such as Point of the Mountain are visited by pilots from all over the world.

The scenic beauty and close proximity to Salt Lake City add to the appeal of paragliding in Utah.

To paraglide solo from most launch sites in Utah, you’ll need to be a member of USHPA and a local Utah paragliding club with P2/H2 rating of higher.

Locations

Point of the Mountain

For anyone familiar with paragliding, it must come at no surprise to see Point of the Mountain mentioned as the best paragliding location in Utah. But really it’s more than that, its one of the best locations in the world. Think of anything that would make a paragliding location in Utah perfect and you’ll find it here.

The surrounding Traverse Range mountains provide shelter in the valley which creates paragliding conditions which are smooth and predictable until late in the day. This means for most of the day it’s safe for beginner and intermediate pilots.

Later in the day, large gusts of wind can blow in, producing conditions with strong updrafts. These strong updrafts and reduction in predictable conditions make late-afternoon paragliding more suited to experienced pilots.

Another reason that Point of the Mountain is so paragliding-friendly is that you can fly from the north and south sides. The launch directions are close to 270 degrees, enabling you to leverage the weather conditions and rarely be handicapped by launch site limitations.

The hill slopes are gentle, not far off a 45 degree angle, so it’s not too daunting for beginners and offers plenty of clear space if you need to bomb out. The area is zoned specifically for paragliding and hang gliding, and provided it’s not too busy from other pilots, the chance of colliding with something is low. There’s even the NOAA weather site located near the launch area, so you can check the weather conditions right before you launch.

While you’re in the sky, you’ll enjoy great views of the surrounding mountains, lakes and the local town.

The landing zone is approximately 3,000ft long, and also has significant space across its width, enabling safe landing for multiple pilots on a busy day.

The official paragliding location at Point of the Mountain is known as ‘Flight Park’ or ‘Point of the Mountain Flight Park’. It’s about 24 miles south of Salt Lake City. It’s open all year-round (including holidays) from dusk till dawn (weather permitting, however most of the time the weather conditions here are great for paragliding). There are no entrance fees or any other conditions. Just arrive and paraglide or if you’re a beginner you can book a tandem paragliding experience or paragliding courses with one of the location operators.

There are some rules at Flight Park to ensure everyone can paraglide together safely. These rules include:

  • Yell “clear” or “launching” before launching
  • Hold off doing any paragliding acro tricks in/above the flight park or within 300ft of the grass
  • Helmets must be worn
  • Pass pilots who are travelling in the opposite direction to the right
  • The lower pilot has the right of way, and a pilot on the inside of the ridge to their right has right of way

For the full list of rules, see the Utah Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association website.

Inspiration Point (Inspo)

Inspiration Point, often referred to as Inspo, would have to be the second most popular paragliding location in Utah, after Point of the Mountain. It’s located between Cascade Mountain and Orem Town, which provides excellent views for pilots. It provides consistent thermalling conditions, with pilots able to paraglide up to 15,500 feet on good days. Good cross country can be possible here as well.

One caveat here is that the landing zone can only be used when the paragliding school is not flying. But don’t let that put you off! It’s a great place to paraglide, just plan your day ahead.

Camels Pass

Camels Pass is a great hidden gem near Powerhouse Mountain. It’s great for beginner to intermediate pilots. The launch area is 3200ft above the landing zone and is accessible via four wheel drive or hiking. The views up here of the Utah Valley are sensational!

Pilots descend just over 950 meters and land in a large field owned by a person who is fortunately a paragliding pilot themself. This landing area isn’t too far from the launch area, so you can float around and take it easy before landing. There’s no long search for the landing zone here.

Cove (Richfield)

Cove is a higher altitude launch which is more suited for the intermediate and advanced pilots. It’s one of the classic Utah launches. If you’re a good paragliding pilot you’ll love this place, if you’re a beginner you’ll aspire to one day be soaring high at Cove.

It’s generally difficult to access during winter, with May to November being the main paragliding season here. You’ll find plenty of launch areas and once you’re in the air, the conditions are generally more predictable and consistent.

You’ll paraglide at least 2.5 miles to the landing zone above mountain valleys where landing conditions aren’t great. One thing regular pilots here recommend is to get close to your landing area somewhat quickly. Conditions often change in the late afternoon/evening where winds can move from west to north or even east.

Another risk here is the vegetation near launch. There are sage brush, scrub oaks and junipers, and higher up some pine and aspen trees which can snag lines and get you caught.

The launch area is on national forest land which is controlled by the Central Utah Air Sports Association (CUASA). To paraglide here you’ll need to be a member of CUASA and USHPA (or relevant tourist membership.

Tandem Paragliding in Utah

If you’re travelling in Utah or looking to do something exciting and new, you must take advantage of the opportunity to tandem paraglide at Point of the Mountain.

Point of the Mountain Paragliding offers tandem paragliding experiences which run for up to one hour. These run from the north and south side launch sites at flight park, as well as from Inspo.

These experiences can run from five minutes to one hour depending on weather. Passengers have been as young as 8, no excuses people give it a go!

Soar up to 2500ft and enjoy the experience of a lifetime. Point of the Mountain Paragliding also offer paragliding tours, learning to paraglide training and advanced training.

Useful Links

http://www.uhgpga.org/ – Utah Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association

https://www.cuasa.com/ Central Utah Air Spot Association

https://www.ushpa.org/ – United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association