Y Mountain

Y Mountain rises directly above the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah, its west face marked by the giant white letter Y that gives the site its name. Launch is just above the Y at 6,300 ft ASL — 1,700 ft above Utah Valley — with expansive views across the valley. It's a short-hike site with a well-maintained switchback trail; the best thermal comes off a rocky nub on the ridge above the cliffs about 500 yards north of launch. Landing options in the abandoned university fields have been lost after a treed-glider incident, so plan for Kiwanis Park a mile due west.

Launch & conditions

Launch just above the giant Y on the west side of the mountain. 6,300 ft ASL, 1,700 ft above the valley below.

Getting there & local rules

30–40 min hike with 1,000 ft of gain up a steep, well-maintained switchback trail from the trailhead parking lot. From I-15, take Provo Exit 265 east on W Center St for 2 miles to a roundabout, turn left onto N 700 E for 0.8 miles to 820 N Street, turn right east for 0.7 miles until the road turns north into Oakmont Lane; take your first right east onto Oak Cliff Drive up towards the Y and follow the curves south-east to the trailhead. Landing: Kiwanis Park, one mile due west of the Y at 820 N 1100 E, Provo. Leave a car there before hiking up.

Local rules & hazards

Don't fly too far out over the Provo suburbs — stay inside FAA regulations for paragliders. Watch for large power lines running N–S at the base of the mountain. Do NOT land in the abandoned fields between N Oakmont Lane and N Locust Lane just east of the park — they're BYU-owned and after a treed-glider incident the university does not want pilots landing there.

Check conditions before you fly

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