Paragliding Utah Sites

Utah paragliding sites span the range from some of the best training grounds in the world to very technical and demanding flying. Primarily, Utah is in the high mountain desert which is a challenging environment to fly in. The launches and landings are high altitude and the diurnal  temperature ranges can be quite large. Flying in Utah and the rest of the intermountain west can be quite adventurous, and people are advised to wear plenty of sunscreen and be very well hydrated.

The Wasatch Front is where the majority of the flying occurs. With the valley floor at approximately 4500′ and the summits of the Wasatch over 11,000 feet, there is a huge amount of topographical relief, all of it west facing. Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley have plenty of parks and fields to land in within gliding distance from many launches, but they are surrounded by suburban sprawl. There is also an abundance of churches that may have suitable landing areas nearby, but it is generally courteous to avoid landing at a church on Sunday while they are busy. With over 2 million people living in Salt Lake and Utah valley, there are plenty of ride-sharing opportunities to get back to a car that was left on launch. Salt Lake City also has an international airport and a National Weather Service office. The forecasting here is top notch, and a soaring report is published daily.

Outside of the suburban sprawl of Salt Lake and Utah County, Utah is a fairly rural place.