Cox Tor
Paragliding site · United Kingdom
- Launch altitude
- 429 m
- Level
- Intermediate+
- Best season
- —
- Landing
- —
Works on SW · W · NW
Where it is
Cox Tor is a Dartmoor site west of Tavistock, working several wind directions: NNW to NNE, WSW to NW, and SSE to SSW (the southern face is used for training). The 429 m launch is not very steep, so dynamic lift is limited — but XC potential is excellent. The west face is the classic XC launch, letting pilots follow the moor road toward Two Bridges, Dartmeet, Ashburton and beyond. The north face's XC option quickly runs into the sea. The northwest corner is rocky and awkward; the south face is shallow and difficult to soar but suits training. Flying on Dartmoor is legally controlled — the South Devon HG & PG Club holds the licence and only members (full or temporary) with BHPA and current third-party insurance can fly designated sites. Dartmoor is also a military training area and designated DANGER AREA from ground level to 10,000 feet; do NOT cross the areas marked on the club's danger-area maps.
Launch & conditions
Launch surface is good but watch for large boulders. Landing is similar — good but boulder-strewn. The site can be rough at any time, especially in strong winds (22 mph or more). Modern hang gliders are difficult to land on the west face. The south face's shallow slope makes soaring difficult but suits student progression.
Getting there & local rules
Leave Tavistock on the B3357 toward Princetown. For the west and north launches, as the road leaves the fields on the steep part of the hill, turn left and pass a barn just visible from the main road. Follow the road about 400 m to the west site, or a mile to the north site. The south (training) launch is reached by parking at the top of the hill on the main road, in the car park on the right. Do NOT park more than 15 metres from the road or track. Club and BHPA membership are prerequisites for flying — this is not a site for showing up unannounced.
Check conditions before you fly
A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Cox Tor, 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 Cox Tor with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.
7-day wind outlook
High-resolution models — the same OutDare uses.
Loading the forecast…
Is it usually flyable?
Set your own flyable wind range and see how often Cox Tor would have worked over the last 12 months, month by month.
Surface wind (10 m) in km/h — the same number you read on any forecast.
49% of days flyable
178 of 365 days had a dry 2-hour+ window in your range, from a direction this site flies
Best month
Jul · 71%
Flyable days by month
A day counts as flyable when the surface wind held in your range, from a direction the site flies, with no rain, for at least 2 hours in a row (08:00–20:00) — from hourly 10 m wind over the last 12 months. A seasonal wind guide only: it can't judge gusts, thermals or turbulence, and never replaces the live forecast, airspace checks and your own judgement.
Nearby flying sites
Site facts from the OutDare flying-site database. Always verify current access and regulations with the local club before flying.