Hogback

Hogback is a 3-mile ridge site in Paradise Valley, Montana, south of Livingston off Divide Road near the Music Ranch — a NE and SW facing ridge that's HG and PG friendly. Launch is on private land, with permission from a generous landowner family (their two dogs, Daisy and Boz, are part of the scene — one rolls rocks to pilots, the other supervises launches). AS OF 2025 THE LZ IS LOST — access is no longer available to the traditional landing area south of the parking. Do not land there. Fly here only if you have a workable alternative landing.

Launch & conditions

NE-facing launch, grass ground. 300 ft hike up from the parking lot. SW-side of the ridge not recommended. Wind can get extremely strong here and change rapidly. Afternoon soaring puts the west sun in your eyes.

Getting there & local rules

In Paradise Valley, south of Livingston off Divide Road near the Music Ranch. Access via the landowner's family land — pass through the small spacing between the fence posts (you'll need to pass gear over the fence, it won't fit through on your back). Close all gates behind you — livestock on site.

Check conditions before you fly

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