Saddle Mountain

Saddle Mountain launches from the summit of a peak northwest of Lumby, British Columbia, but access here is unusually restricted: the mountain is an active mine site with a locked gate on the road up, and visiting pilots must be accompanied by a member of the local flying club who holds a key — there's no way in without one. Beyond that, very little else about the site itself has been published, which is worth knowing before planning a trip. What is documented is the airspace: the area sits inside special-use airspace for hang gliding and aerobatics with a ceiling of 6,200 feet ASL, and commercial jets flying fuel-saving GPS approaches into nearby Kelowna, one of Canada's busiest airports, can be on final glide from a long way out — so staying below the ceiling and keeping a lookout matters more here than at a typical site.

Launch & conditions

Launch sits at the summit, northwest of Lumby, BC. The access road has a locked gate because the mountain is an active mine site.

Getting there & local rules

This is private property with restricted access — visiting pilots must be accompanied by a local club member who holds a key; there's no independent way onto the mountain.

Local rules & hazards

The site sits inside special-use airspace for hang gliding and aerobatics with a ceiling of 6,200 feet ASL. Commercial jets flying fuel-saving GPS approaches into nearby Kelowna airport can be on final glide from a long way out, so watch for traffic and stay below the ceiling.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Saddle Mountain, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Saddle Mountain with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.