Ellenville

A site whose manicured, easy-going appearance badly undersells it: experienced locals rate the respect it demands alongside the harshest desert flying in the country. Conditions can turn rough, sometimes with no warning at all — more likely in a northerly, but possible at any time. Because the site faces west the cycles start late, though it might be as early as 11:30, and climbs of 10 m/s have been recorded in front of launch on days that were mild after leaving the valley. In summer, avoid launching or landing mid-afternoon, when the cycles can come through like freight trains. For a strong pilot it is a fine cross-country site: a crosswind out-and-return towards Kingston is about 80 km with good landing options and no big retrieve. If you are not a strong cross-country pilot you will have a nicer, higher flight by waiting until late afternoon, or even evening in summer, when glass-off is common — as long as the wind is decreasing rather than increasing, because plenty of eager paraglider pilots have been blown back here.

Launch & conditions

The main launch faces west-north-west to north-west, and is wide and grassy with enough level set-up room for twenty hang gliders or several dozen paragliders. A second, narrower launch faces west. Fly the landing attentively even when the air feels calm: dust devils that lift no visible dust have been recorded here, particularly in still air late in the morning, and the site has other surprises in it.

Getting there & local rules

The site is private. Before flying you must check in at the landing field, behind the white house on the right at the end of the access road, where you sign a waiver and pay for a day pass.

Local rules & hazards

This is a private site and not a national-association site, but a USHPA rating is required to fly it: H4/P4 for mid-day flying in summer, H3/P3 otherwise. Foreign ratings are not accepted. Check in at the landing field, sign the waiver and pay the day pass before flying, and get a site briefing from an experienced pilot if it is your first time here. Land in the large field on the south side of the access road — the one with the obvious volcano-shaped training hill and a white house at the east end against the trees. Do not land in the next field adjacent to the south, which is used for organic farming.

Check conditions before you fly

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