Dry Canyon

Dry Canyon sits above Alamogordo in New Mexico's Sacramento Mountains, a classic Southwest desert soaring and cross-country site rated P3. The 2,121 m launch faces south through west and works on thermic and ridge lift over rugged terrain. The main LZ is a large, flat mown grass field considered one of the best in the state, located within the town and easily visible from the hang-glider launch. The glide down is long — paragliders that lose the ridge below the first rock band should head directly to the LZ, because without any lift they are unlikely to make it. West of Highway 54 sits substantial restricted airspace (White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base); XC lines go north and east instead. Read a sectional chart before pushing further afield.

Launch & conditions

The paragliding launch is short — under 10 metres because of rotor behind the ridge — which is the reason the site is rated P3. The hang-glider launch is where the Forest Service road ends but is not the recommended paragliding option: inflations are more difficult there. Rough desert air in spring and summer is the norm; hot afternoon cycles are especially punchy.

Getting there & local rules

Take-off is accessible by 4×4 only on a badly eroded US Forest Service road. From Highway 54 north of Alamogordo, turn east on Highway 82, drive about 5.7 miles and turn right through a gate. Allow 60 to 75 minutes from the LZ to launch. The LZ is reached from Highway 54 via Fairgrounds Road up toward the mountains; the field sits on the left just past a baseball field, with a windsock and a shaded gazebo.

Local rules & hazards

The site is rated P3. Do not land or fly near the local hospital — helicopters approach and depart low from that direction. Restricted airspace covers everything west of Highway 54 (missile range and Air Force base); XC stays north and east. Get on the ground fast if thunderstorms build to the east or you see the white sands being kicked up about 15 miles west of the site.

Check conditions before you fly

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