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Home > California Slopes [Courtesy of Bill Swingle bill_swingle "at" adelphia.net, November 1998, and Dan Borer dborer "at" earthlink.net, for the Temple Hill description] ...in addition, click here for a link to a site with pictures of many of these sites, and a few more... Benicia, Rose Drive
From 780 take columbus Pkwy exit, Rt on Rose Drive, then make the first right after the third stop sign, called Belvedere at the sweeping left turn make a u-turn and park on the other side of the street, on the inside of the turn. There's a big opening between two houses, at fire hydrant on rt. through gate left up hill. We call it 'Cardiac Hill' because it's a short but STEEP hike. The slope has a rounded top, and little clearly defined ridge, but about 40 yds out here's a wave that works like a long ridge. Landings are easy, and the hill can support large scale planes (guys fly them there). Best for west winds better than 10 kts. Comments: [DLS] The site itself is pleasant--on a hill with a 360 degree view of Mt Diablo, Mt Tam, Sonoma and Petaluma Mts, Mt St. Helena, and hills between. The hill is 1/2 very steep (on the left side, but if you go too far (75 feet or so) left, you get out of the lift and into horizontal laminar wind), and 1/2 not-so-steep (right side), with plenty of lift out front, much wider than the lift right at the hill. There is indeed some sort of wave thing way out front which my 70" was easily able to get into (but made it look kinda small), but there are also lots of brown roofs out there, so my guess is that there is a thermal component to the out-front lift. The top of the hill is flat-ish and pretty big (>100 feet wide, 75 feet deep), but you wouldn't want to fly beyond it into the rotor and down into the nice neighborhood full of houses, cars, and people. The lip at the front of the hill is gradual, so flow is horizontal and laminar all over the top...makes for great air-braked landings. Berkeley, Marina
HWY80 to Berkeley. Exit University Ave heading West (toward the Bay). Go across the freeway if you haven't already and keep going towards the Bay--field to your right, water to the left. When the road splits (L&R), turn right and drive all the way to the end of the road to Cesar Chavez Park (North Waterfront Park). Walk north to the end of the paved path just past the trees. For stiff lift fly there with the tree covered hill as your slope. For a gentler novice slope walk further north to the undeveloped area that slopes down to the water. Comments: [DLS] On a typical 15-25 mph day with no shear (see below), expect to get 25-50 feet over the top with a non-T/D ship, or 50-100 feet with a T/D ship. Winds 5-25 mph depending on the time of the day, straight in from the Golden Gate. Those of us who live close by have many many hours here, not because it's a great site, but because it is consistently good and flyable; and, when the shear happens, it's a great site We have flown everything from fullhouse sailplanes to foamies to Sparrows to GLs and Spirits, and especially floaty HLG's. Most lift is ridge, but occasional major lift is due to a "shear" effect and is difficult to predict. The shear effect at the Marina is a relative rarity and not the main source of lift. Normal source is ridge lift off the seawall and the adjoining low hills. Perfectly adequate for all the planes mentioned above. The shear thing only happens from time to time, and turns the Marina into a monster site. [editor] Not a typical sloping site. Odd place. Most slopers would never risk a toss until they saw someone else in the air. Slope is minimal however lift is adequate. ALWAYS bring a floater! Bring an upstart if possible. Call 843-3446 for wind info. Wind is very consistent. A good sign of shear conditions is when the Berkeley Windtalker (843-3446) says its windy (especially a big speed range) but there is no wind in the rest of Berkeley. However, often the shear lift occurs above 50' and requires an upstart to reach. Bring a jacket. Coyote Hills
Travel across the Dumbarton and take the first exit. Go left on Paseo Padre 1-1/12 mi. The park is marked with a small brownsign on the left. Once you are inside go all the way to the end of the road and park. There is a grassy area there with picnic benches. Stay on the right and take the first trail to your right. It's a bit of a hike but once you reach the top it's well worth it! Steep climb for 10 min. from car park furthest from entrance. Req's : The park is open sunrise to sunset and a charge of $3.00 applies from about 8am to 4:00-4:30pm. Great for thermals early on, then 15-25 mph winds after 1:00pm. Many helpful people. Davenport
About 15 miles north of Santa Cruz on Highway 1, west of the highway. From the south, go past the town of Davenport to the Big Creek Lumber Co, then a bit further north and look for planes in the air on the left. There is parking on the west side of the highway (on the shoulder) right opposite the site, and a little path across the iceplant. [DLS] Another way to get located: The site is at the south end of Waddell Creek beach (windsurfing site). The highway goes up from Waddell (heading south now) and where it begins to top out on the bluff is where you can park on the shoulder. If lots of guys are sailing at Waddell, then you'll be able to fly, guaranteed (they don't sail unless there's serious wind). The stnd NW wind is usually a bit cross from the north, but the north end of the site curves around to face the NW a bit, so it's big lift and close to straight-in. Guys windsurf at Waddell because it's frequently got STRONG wind... Bring a plane that penetrates. Del Valle
Side of road on top of the hill rougly 1/2 mile before entrance to Del Valle Park, approx. 4 miles south of Livermore, off Mines Rd. Unofficial home of the Del Valle Milk Dogs. Typically good winds during winter storms. Spring winds are usually good. Summer winds are sometimes very good but are difficult to predict and often disappoint. Site topology is excellent. When the wind is correct the lift is terrific however the location does have a reputation for bumpy lift, BIG bumps (Bump City Milk Dogs!). Several slopes good for winds N, NW, W, SW, S, SE. Pilots of all skill levels fly here but the typical pilot is quite adept. Much flying is done V. close in! Many fast ships are flown here including several unlimited racers. Many will combat when asked. [editor] Raucous, rowdy crowd of people but good natured, fun loving and ever willing to lend a hand. Camaraderie is a big part of the Del Valle experience. No extra charge for the whoopin' and hollerin'. Lotsa hollerin' when the wind's up. Many regulars at this site though the man of the hill honor goes to Don C. Sergiosity rating: 1.5. Editor flys here. Fremont, Mission Peak
Take the Mission Blvd. exit off of 880 or 680 (careful: there are two exits off of this!) and head east; road curves north, and you get to Paseo Padre Pkwy. Just past the stop light at PPP is Stanford Ave.; turn right, and go all the way to the end, where there is a parking area for Mission Peak Regional Preserve. Go through the gate next to the fire road, but instead of following the majority of hikers and hang glider vehicles, bear to the right and down the slight grade, next to the eucalyptus trees and the creek (Agua Caliente). Follow this through another set of gates, and then head UP the fire road; you want to fly from the hill to the right. The road makes a general 'S' which you will follow before heading off the road to the worn spot on the top of this hill. For what it's worth, hang glider pilots refer to it as "RC Hill." Comments: [Keith] -Be aware that there may be the wayward beginner trying to fly just beyond the hang glider landing area below (off the road that was to the left); this can cause some radio frequency issues. What I usually do when this happens is take a moment to talk to them on my way home, letting them know about the possible conflict, and inviting them up to the main hill for far more satisfying flying conditions. -This hill works with anything from SW to NW winds, great for this area. 5mph is enough to sustain most light planes, and if you can identify and stick with thermals, you can enjoy unlimited flying there. -Usually not too crowded, as not too many people want to walk the 20 minutes to the top. Great conditions; the only thing you have to be certain of is staying clear of hang gliders on final approach. -Landings are best approached by letting the plane crab up the hill; you can usually set it down at your feet if you practice. There is some turbulence if you venture behind the flight line, not that this is safe to do anyway! -Bonus is a good view of Hammer's house! [AOL] Very low key..everything from floaters to Scale. Just hike up and toss it. Good lift with W to SW wind..very nice. Fort Funston
Cliff flying, good beach access though.Southern end of the western San Francisco coast. Directly off Hwy 35(hwy 1) roughly a mile north of John Daly Blvd. Get a map! Flying allowed when hang gliders aren't flying! General rule is "Hang gliders are gods. If your plane leaves your hand when any Hanger is in the air you will be struck dead by lightning." Stand on the cliff (without a plane) and some Hangers will buzz you wearing big grins as they pass. Interesting place. Bring a jacket. [DLS] R/C flying is allowed, but not when hanggliders are in the air. Unfortunately, they often are in the air if there's any wind at all. A bunch of Hangglider pilots are also R/C guys, and they fly here. I have gotten some serious radio glitches here with my Attack 4 due to reflectance off the large metal pipes and metal parts of abandoned nike/gun emplacements. Glitch area is mainly in front of the observation deck. Hayward, Cal State
South on Mission Blvd., East on Harder Dr. Park in the dorm lot. Climb up 60' to the ridge line and fly. Go after business (school) hours or on weekends if you want to avoid a ticket. Wind should be 195-245deg magnetic. Good topology. Note that summer winds tend to bend southward to get from the golden gate to hayward. Thus a "West" wind looks like a NW wind in Hayward which is no good at this site. Los Banos
Position yourself at the intersection of Interstate 5 and State highway 152. Exit East. Turn South on Volta Road, East on Pioneer, south on Canyon road. This will lead you back under I5 in a Westerly direction. Continue to Los Banos Creek Reservoir. Turn left on to the dirt road "Rim Drive". Put your 5$ into an envelope and then into the green post with the slot. They check occasionally. Fly the rim from anywhere that looks good. Even the very end of the road is flyable. Roughly 80 miles from Pleasanton thus 120 miles from S.F. [editor] One of the best slope sites in N. Calif. Tough all are good the Northern facing slope has an excellent landing area! Very smooth. A good landing can lead to a 20' slide. Excellent for touch and go's. Try for double touch and go's! Gets quite HOT though. Shade can be critical. Bring a tarp or other shade item, just make sure it's wind proof. Bring some refreshments. Call the wind talker:(209) 826-9019. The forecasts seem credible. Marin, four corners
Follow signs to Stinson Beach, but climbing out of Tamalpais Valley, there is a fork in the road at the top. Go RIGHT here (if you go left here and start going down, turn around!). About 1 mile up and along this road (Panoramic Hiway), the site is to your left as is parking. If the wind is coming in from the west you'll see flyers and cars parked on the west side of the road. If the wind is from the east or NE cars will be parked on the east side and you'll have to walk up on top of the hill. Some of us think that the East site is the better of the two...but usually only a winter/spring option. Warning: If you get to a big intersection with signs that say (collectively) "Muir Beach/Muir Woods left, Mill Valley right, Mt.Tam/Stinson Beach straight ahead", turn around and go back about 300 feet. McClure's Beach
From 101 at Petaluma take Point Reyes/Petaluma Road or from Marinwood take Lucas Valley Road or from Mill Valley take hwy 1 northAt Pt. Reyes Station take Sir Francis Drake Blvd. North Pierce Point Rd North to the very end.Park in the public lot, follow the trail North (on the top, not down to the beach). There is a 'Dangerous cliff' sign in the center of a large bowl. Fly the center if it's a West wind, or on the appropriate side if more North or South. Fog can be a factor, as the cliff is high enough to be in the fog. [Mike] The most spectacular flying site around. Go all the way to the very end, the last parking lot. Don't walk down to the beach on the main trail, take the trail over the top to the right. About a fifteen minute walk...look for a huge bowl with a warning sign. Walk to a part of the bowl that has the wind coming into it. Oakland, Merrit College
Good for west winds 220 to 280 above 6-7 kts reported by Oakland ATIS. From the South: 580 North exit - Keller Ave (E) L at Campus Drive (N)From the North: 580 South exit - Redwood Rd (E) R at Campus Drive (N)Merritt College itself is on the east side of the street, the site (and parking lots) are on the west side.The main parking lot is further south, just beyond the one you want. The parking lot to turn into has a sign in front of it that you won't see very well unless you are heading SE (parking lot, flying site, and Oakland to your right). The sign says "Recycling Area" or words to that effect. Once you get off the road, instead of taking the first parking "level", jog to the left and up a bit to the second tier. Turn to the right, and drive out along the parking area all the way to the other end, then turn left 90 degrees and keep going all the way to the edge of the hill (it will go up I think, then finally down a ways, maybe 100yds total). There is a little building with what looks like a large antenna on it. Park anywhere around there. If there are planes in the air, you will long since have seen them. Walk with plane etc. to the right (NW) past the antenna building and follow the path to the site. Wind from SSW to W are al flyable from the Northwest end of the Merritt College Parking lot. (actuall, about 50 yards north of the parking lot, along the road that runs by the transmitting tower.). It's a bit of a trick to find the first time unless there are planes in the air. You have to go thru a parking lot maze, complete with dead ends. The distance is not great, so if you see planes, just park and walk towards them. Parking in the lot may not be allowed when school is in session, but I think we park slightly outside the lot on the far northwest end. [editor] Flying is typically thermal searching. Bring a floater. The thermals are quite good and usually frequent. A good SW wind may turn the location into a hot sloping site but is unknown at this time. Pacifica, Cheeta Ridge
Cheeta Ridge is a southwest facing bowl mostly covered with Iceplant and yes it is a public access location.>Take I-280 N to highway 1 south. >Take the first Pacifica exit (Manor St). >Once on the exit, stay to the right. At the stop sign turn right. >You will go past Mc Donalds and a couple of Apt. complexes. >After that you will see the sand dunes on your left, continuing up a small hill take the next left. >About a half mile down you will see the Cheeta Ridge sight on the left, just before you enter a parking lot (FYI, north of the parking lot is another spot we fly - good for NW winds). info from Dave in Pacifica, Peabodie "at" aol.com Pacifica, dunes/bowl/dump
Cliff flyingThe three are known by locals as "The Dunes," "The Bowl" and "The Dump," listed from south to north. They can be reached by taking the Manor Drive exit west from scenic Highway 1 in Pacifica, CA. Head north on frontage road directly west of freeway. Approximately 2 miles will bring you to a beautiful stretch (1/4 mile?) of gently rolling sand dunes which front the Pacific Ocean at a 200 foot+vertical rise. One half mile up the road, Just outside a steel tube gate is "The Bowl." A very small area to fly with iceplant covered dunes and almost no way to land other than to stall coming up the cliff (downwind) and into the iceplant. Further north (through the steel tube gate) is the municipal dump. A small canyon is formed behind a very steep slope towards the ocean. This makes for very gentle landings in iceplant or coyote bush. Pacifica, Milagra Ridge Location
Take Highway 1 to the Sharp Park Road exit. Go East on Sharp Park Road to the first stop light (College Drive), turn left at College Drive. Drive to the steel gate blocking the road (if the gate is open do not drive past it- the rangers will lock your car in the park) and park on either side of the road, parking is limited - DO NOT BLOCK GATE! If you can't park by the gate, I have been told by residents of the condominiums, that the police will not ticket you if you park on the side of the road opposite the condo's (I can't verify this, park in the red zone at your own risk), do not park on the same side of the road as the condo's, you will be ticketed there. Walk up the path on the left side of the gate to the top of the hill. This is the launching area, fly between the launching area and the canyon to your left. Pinole
I-80 exit East on Pinole Valley Rd., then L on Estates, L on Faria, R on Ponderosa. Walk up fire trail at #3300 Ponderosa Excellent lift on a 45x+ slope and then often thermal to speck-out! Winds often 25-30mph in summer. Sometimes tricky coming down and aiming at the top of the round knoll. Good for ALL wind directions from North to South (not East) Rhonert Park, Lichau
From 101 N take Pengrove exit. Right at the fire station. Straight on Petaluma Hill road. Right on Robert's, right on Lichau, third cattle crossing park. S.W. slope looks very lifty. From 101 in Rhonert Park (like from Hanger 1 hobbies): Rhonert Park Expressway east to Petaluma hill rd, rt, left on Robert's. From Napa area, 121 west, 116 north Right on Adobe rd, right on Petaluma hill rd, then pick up the rest from above. This is an AMA ONLY site and has a locked gate. So long as you have AMA, though, guests are welcome. $5 for club membership and the gate combo. Sunset State Beach
They are at least a couple hundred feet high. (Watsonville?) ==> Req's : small fee for admission. Temple Hill
Nestled in the hills on the west side of Pomona, California, Temple Hill offers the slope flier a wonderful place to waste away a late afternoon. The prevailing winds usually start to kick up at about 3:00 p.m. daily and with them come at least a few glider enthusiasts. The slope sees its share of all types of aircraft and has a loyal group of combat foamie fliers. The site is located in a residential area, so consideration must be given to the residents. Please, when visiting the site, enter and exit the neighborhood quietly and obey all traffic laws.
Temple Hill is located just east of the 57 Freeway between the 10 Freeway and the 60 Freeway. Exit the freeway at Temple Avenue and head east, keeping in the left lane. Turn left at the light at Mission Blvd/Diamond Bar Blvd, and get into the right lane. Turn right on Rancho Laguna Drive into the Mission Hills development; proceed up the hill and turn right on Alta Mira Place; turn left on Los Coyotes Drive. The street will curve and you will come to a stand of trees; park here and look to the left for the big green water tank; you will see a brick notch at the sidewalk. Now is time to put those new hiking boots to work! Walk to the fence and follow the trail up the hill, down the hill and up the next hill. The hike is relatively easy and should take only 15 minutes or so. Just be sure to carry everything on the first trip! Vollmer Peak
Req's : Monster lift during rare East winds. Landing a little tricky locate the Caldecott tunnel on highway 24 running East West between Berkeley and Orinda. If headed East, exit highway 24 IMMEDIATELY upon exiting the tunnel, take the frontage road that doubles back, over the freeway, and continue UP Fish Ranch Road to the stop sign intersection with Grizzly Peak. If Headed West, exit highway 24 IMMEDIATELY before entering the tunnel, take the frontage road UP to the stop sign intersection with Grizzly Peak. Turn right (nominally North) on Grizzly Peak and continue UP with the Bay on your left until your reach the first real road on your right, Lomas Cantadas. Turn right (nominally "West"[according to Nasatir] "NE or E"[accordting to Stone]) which is the only possible turn and then turn IMMEDIATELy left (North) into the access to the picnic area for the little steam trains in Tilden park. Drive as far as you can, staying to the right. You will encounter a locked gate. Park your car in the lot on the left. Unload. Proceed on foot, with everything you need, around the locked gate and UP the paved road toward the microwave repeater (I think that's what it is). On the third switchback you will see the microwave tower on the right. Continue along road about 100 meters toward a large pine tree on the right. Keep a sharp lookout to the right for a short path through the weeds to a locked gate. If you are taller than I am, step over the barbed wire fence on the right of the gate...the barbs have been removed from the top strand...else climb the gate. Unload. Approach the edge of the slope and determine wind direction (flyable from NNE to SSE with varying degrees of success) and launch! oh yes, some folks walk another 500 meters along the road and launch from the next knoll/bowl. Best to determine what frequencies are in use before launching. [DLS] NE is the best direction--this blows straight in. East wind is not good... [editor] Great site. Wind must be very near NE which is a rare condition. [Nasatir] No weather station is really terribly good... you might try 1.800.992.7433 and, after the "ring burst" dial 307 and listen closely; you want wind directions between about 15 degrees and 75 degrees. info from:Dave Nasatir Weibel Winery
(Off Stanford, off Mission..inside the East Bay Regional Park). See the "Fremon, Mission Peak" entry. Windy Hill
3 miles south of La Honda, east of Woodside, on Skyline Blvd. Magnificant thermals, good breezes. |
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