Blossom Valley

Blossom Valley in San Diego County is a sensitive private-land site where flying is barely tolerated — landowner access is fragile and can change any day. It has the highest accident rate of all San Diego County sites, and the LZ situation makes it worse: as of 7 May 2014 the Blossom LZ is CLOSED — the landowner will press trespassing charges to anyone accessing his land. The nearby Helix Water Property and Old Riverbed LZs are also closed. At the time of writing there are no landing options in the valley with explicit permission. Top-landing only — and the top-land is rated H4+++++ / P4. Contact local pilots before even thinking of flying here.

Launch & conditions

Hike up (10–15 min) or high-clearance 4x4. Top-landing only — H4+++++ / P4 rating required to top-land.

Getting there & local rules

Sensitive private land, no official permission to fly. The landowners tolerate access, but only barely. Blossom LZ CLOSED effective 5 May 2014 — landowner will press trespassing charges. Helix Water Property and Old Riverbed LZs also closed. At this time, no landing options in the valley have explicit permission — top-landing is the only sanctioned option. Check the current club site guide before any visit.

Local rules & hazards

Highest accident rate of all San Diego County sites. Thumper (out front and to the north) is a knob that throws off bouncy thermals. Watch for high winds and venturi across the top and across Amen Ridge to the right (north) of launch — lower-speed gliders can be blown back on windy days. Lots of power lines in the valley. Landings in the valley currently have NO explicit permission — top-land only, and top-land requires H4+++++ or P4.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Blossom Valley, 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 Blossom Valley with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.