Elk Mountain / Lake County
Upper Lake (Mendocino National Forest, Lake County) · near Upper Lake / Lakeport · North Coast
Paragliding
At a glance
- Skill level
- advanced
- Best season
- Spring–fall thermal season
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- No
Paragliding detail
- Flying types
- thermal · xc
- Conditions
- Inland NorCal thermal and XC launches in the Mendocino National Forest above Lake County, with flying over Clear Lake and the surrounding coast ranges. A quiet, uncrowded alternative to the Bay Area sites.
- Ushpa
- P3+ recommended for thermal/XC. Remote Mendocino National Forest terrain; know your LZs and road access before going.
- Intl tip
- Lake County is California's least-visited wine region (from the swimming & hot springs and rivers guides — this is Cache Creek country). Combine flying with wine tasting and a Clear Lake visit for an under-the-radar NorCal weekend far from the coastal crowds.
The guide
Above Lake County's Clear Lake, the Mendocino National Forest launches offer quiet inland NorCal thermal and XC flying with big…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Elk Mountain / Lake County — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.28, -122.92