Garrapata

Garrapata is a short beach ridge in a California state park south of Carmel — and it is not legal to fly here. State park rules prohibit paragliding and hang gliding at this location, and the local flying community's own guidance is blunt: skip it, because unauthorized flights here put the broader relationship with the California State Park system at risk for everyone else. Beyond the legal issue, the site carries a real hazard on its own terms: this stretch of beach floods hard at high tide, and pilots familiar with it describe it as genuinely dangerous once the water comes in. If you're looking for legal California coastal soaring nearby, check with a local paragliding club for a site the park system actually permits — there are better, sanctioned options along this coastline than risking a fine, a confrontation with rangers, or worse.

Launch & conditions

There is no legal takeoff here — flying at this state park is prohibited, so there's no launch to describe as usable.

Getting there & local rules

This is a California state park where paragliding and hang gliding are not permitted. Flying here risks a citation and damages access for the wider flying community.

Local rules & hazards

This site is not legal to fly — state park rules prohibit it, and local pilots' own advice is to skip it and protect standing with the California Park System. The beach itself also floods dangerously at high tide, adding a real safety hazard on top of the legal one.

Check conditions before you fly

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