Cleary Summit
Paragliding site · United States
- Launch altitude
- 661 m
- Level
- Intermediate+
- Best season
- spring, summer, fall
- Landing
- —
Works on N · NE · NW
88% landed within 10 km/h
Every OutDare forecast for this site is compared afterwards with real readings from wind stations nearby (a hit = wind within 5 km/h). This score is measured, not promised. How we measure this
Where it is
Cleary Summit is a friendly Alaskan ridge above the Steese Highway 20 minutes north of Fairbanks — a great NNE/NE site with half a mile of soarable ridge, suited to novice and intermediate pilots (P2/P3). Access is drivable year-round on well-maintained roads (4x4 helpful but not required). The main LZ is the parking area below launch, which extends about twice as long as it looks from above — but it's too narrow for a hang glider.
Launch & conditions
Two main launches facing NNE and NE. Altitude 2,550 ft MSL. Best in NE/NW winds; best time of day is afternoon; best in spring, summer and fall. Hazards: power lines behind launch, and another near the LZ.
Getting there & local rules
20 minutes north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway. At the top of the Steese, turn left onto Pedro Dome Road; right on the second dirt road; next right, up the hill to the summit. Landing: parking area below launch (long but too narrow for a hang glider). Alternates: the highway (not recommended), ski trails below the highway, or the valley below (long hike out).
Check conditions before you fly
A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Cleary Summit, 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 Cleary Summit with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.
Conditions right now
Live — the same sources the OutDare app uses
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Is it usually flyable? The 12-month record
In a typical 12–35 km/h wind range, Cleary Summit offered a flyable window on 68 of 365 days (19%) over the last 12 months. Best month: March (42%).
| January39%12/31 | February32%9/28 | March42%13/31 | April17%5/30 | May13%4/31 | June0%0/30 |
| July3%1/31 | August3%1/31 | September13%4/30 | October23%7/31 | November20%6/30 | December19%6/31 |
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.
Is it usually flyable?
Set your wing's wind range once — the live 7-day outlook and the last 12 months both answer for Cleary Summit.
Surface wind (10 m) in km/h — the same number you read on any forecast.
The 7-day outlook and the 12-month history below both update to your range.
7-day wind outlook
High-resolution models — the same OutDare uses.
Loading the forecast…
Over the last 12 months
19% of days flyable
68 of 365 days had a dry 2-hour+ window in your range, from a direction this site flies
Best month
Mar · 42%
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.