Paragliding Mt. Diablo

There are two launches featured on Mt Diablo. The first is Juniper. Located adjacent to the Juniper Campground, this launch faces south. Generally speaking, this is the primary launch to fly Mt Diablo. It has ample room to stage paragliders and hang gliders, fix tangled lines, or generally enjoy launch vibes. Thanks to the warm California sun, this launch gets the maximum sun exposure early in the day. The large southerly exposure means thermals are strong, and can turn on early. Interestingly enough, though, a north wind tends to blow over the summit late at night and early in the morning. In this configuration, this launch would be in the lee, so keep an eye on your winds!

The second launch on Mt Diablo is the Tower Launch. Located at the base of the main radio antennae, this launch faces North and North West. It can handle those days where the North winds don't back down quite enough to fly the south launch. Because the launch is smaller and relatively flat, it requires strong wing ground handling skills, and proper finesse. It also features a rather steep cliff drop off, so make sure your wing is flying before sending it from here.

Both launches can be reached by following the "Summit Trail". Hiking is encouraged to save yourself the $10 park entrance fee for vehicles... in addition to upping your flying day from a regular epic day, to an epic hike and fly day!