McGee (Owens Valley)

McGee is a well-loved morning site in California's Owens Valley, and local pro pilot Kari Castle's advice sums it up well: be on launch, ready to fly, by 9:30-10am, because this is a site that rewards early timing. The paragliding launch itself is rough going, thick with prickly 'velcro' bushes, while hang glider pilots do better launching straight from the switchback road above Crowley Lake. The tricky part is the wind: a west wind moves in and shifts fast, and pilots who wait on launch for it to settle often get caught out — the better move is usually to launch and scratch around in the sky while conditions turn on, rather than waiting on the ground. There's a working horse pasture in the landing zone, so avoid flying directly over the horses and never land in the green grass near them. The area also sits close to Mammoth Airport's no-fly zone — pilots need to stay above 3,000 feet AGL to cross Highway 395 within about 5 miles of the airport. If you bomb out, the fallback landing is just east of Highway 395, next to the frontage road and north of the cattle range — look for the wind streamers tied to posts there before heading up to launch.

Launch & conditions

The paragliding launch is a rough, steep hillside clearing thick with prickly 'velcro' bushes, just below an east-facing switchback overlooking Crowley Lake; hang glider pilots typically launch straight from the road itself instead.

Getting there & local rules

Reached via a long, narrow dirt switchback road off old Highway 395.

Local rules & hazards

The area sits close to Mammoth Airport's no-fly zone — stay above 3,000 feet AGL to cross Highway 395 within about 5 miles of the airport. There's a working horse pasture in the landing zone: never fly directly over the horses or land in the green grass near them. West wind here shifts fast, and pilots who wait on launch for it to settle often get caught out.

Check conditions before you fly

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