Pacific Valley (Big Sur)
 Please Note:
Los Padres National Forest (including all roads and trails to Wild
Cattle Launch) is closed until further notice, due to the recent fires.
They are serious about this (fines of $5,000-$10,000 and up to six months in
jail) and the local residents are on the lookout for violators. Due to the
contentious history of this site, please do not fly Big Sur until the
forest reopens (hopefully, by June, 2009).
The Plaskett Creek
campground is open. You can hike the road above the campground or hang
out at Sand Dollar beach and it's still one of the best places in the
country to watch the sunset. For more information about the closure, call
the Forest Service office in King City at (831) 835-5434.
Big
Sur is one of the most beautiful sites in California. It is suitable for
novice to advanced hang/paraglider pilots. The conditions are most
reliable from fall through spring.
It
is usually too foggy to fly at Big Sur during the summer. Conditions for
soaring are best between
Christmas and Martin Luther King's birthday. You can typically count on
having a beautiful, smooth sled ride, but soaring flights can be had on pre- and
post-frontal days.
Access: Dirt road; 2WD. There is
plenty of parking at launch and in the LZ. A Wilderness Pass is required
to park or camp at launch. You can get one at the Ranger Station or in the
campground. They cost $5. The fine for parking without one is $5.
Wind Direction: West (WSW & WNW). Be
sure to check the wind in the LZ before heading up and look for indicators of
high winds on the water. The wind can very often be light at launch and
very strong once you clear the ridge.
Restrictions: The launch and LZ are on
national forest land. There are no restrictions to fly here. This is a
good site for Novice pilots.
Launch: (Wild Cattle Launch) 3,200 MSL - N35°58'17" W121°27'11"
(995m). There is an alternate, walk-up, launch above the Pacific Valley
turnout (Harry's Launch). You can use this launch when cloud base is too
low to launch from Wild Cattle. There is also a trail leading from Wild
Cattle to Harry's Launch.
Vertical: 3,050' MSL
Launch: The launch and set up area are huge
and there are no real obstacles.
LZ: N35°55'57" W121°28'09"
(40m)
 The main LZ is across the highway from
the Ranger Station. It is huge with no real obstacles. Don't land at
the Ranger Station. There is an
alternate LZ to the north at the Pacific Valley turnout (Harry's LZ). Some
people land to the south at Sand Dollar, but this is not recommended, due to the
likelihood of big rotors.
Facilities: There are several campgrounds
in the area. There are no toilets at launch or in the LZ. The
closest towns are Lucia (north) and Gorda (south). Gorda has a convenience
store, very
expensive gasoline and a nice/friendly restaurant. Lucia has a restaurant that's
open for breakfast and lunch.
Gas: Try to remember to gas
up in Carmel or Monterey, if you are coming up Highway, 1 or in King City, if you are
coming the back way. The nearest gas station is almost 7 miles away and
their prices are high.
Plaskett
Creek Campground: Our preferred campground is just off of Highway 1, 9.5
miles south of the tiny town of Lucia and 7 miles north of the equally small
town of Gorda). The campground is grassy with running water and flushies,
but no showers. There are picnic tables and fire pits. You will need
to bring your own firewood. Campsites are $20 per night and are available
on a first come/first serve basis. Group campsites can be
reserved in advance.
Emergencies: Take radios and cell phones, as there are
no pay phones nearby. In case of emergencies, contact the Ranger (across
from the LZ) and call 911.
Directions
From Highway 1
The most scenic route is to take Highway 1 south from
Monterey. It is about 60 or 70 miles of the most beautiful coastline in the
west. Go past Big Sur and beyond the town of Lucia.
To the LZ/Campground: As you continue
south, past Lucia, you will see large, open, flat fields on the right side of the
highway. The principal LZ is across the highway from the Pacific Valley
Station of the Los Padres National Forest. Look for the big sign on the right
side of the highway. Plaskett
Creek Campground is
about a mile south
of the Ranger Station, on the left side of the
highway.
To Launch: If you are coming from the
North, pass the town of Lucia and turn left on Nacimiento-Ferguson Road.
If you are coming from the campground/LZ, go north and turn right Nacimiento-Ferguson
Road. Keep following this road about 7 miles until you
crest the summit of the range overlooking the Pacific. At the summit, turn right
on the dirt road (there is a sign that says Prewitt Ridge 5 miles).
This is the road to launch. Approximately 4½ miles down the dirt road there is an
unmarked road coming in from the right. It looks about as heavily traveled as
the main dirt road. Turn right and follow the road out to the front of the ridge
(about ½ mile). When the road branches in three directions, take the middle
branch and drive 100 yards to the crest of the ridge. You are on launch.
The "Back Way" to Launch
Some think it is quicker to go the "back way" and, in fact, that
is the only way to get there at certain times of the year when Highway 1 is
closed due to mudslides and/or road repairs. The "back way" is
definitely faster if you plan to camp at launch or if you want to drive straight
to launch. To get to Pacific Valley via the "back way", go
south on Highway 101. Take the Jolon Road exit (the last exit before King City).
Turn right on Jolon Road and drive 17.3 miles to the entrance of Fort Hunter
Ligget (there is a small church nestled in the trees immediately before the
turn). Turn right, drive through the front gate of the fort, and go 3 miles.
Turn left at the sign that says Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. After about 17 miles,
you will crest the summit of the range overlooking the Pacific. At the summit,
turn left on the dirt road (
there is a sign that says Prewitt Ridge 5 miles).
This is the road to launch. Approximately 4½ miles down the dirt road there is an
unmarked road coming in from the right. It looks about as heavily traveled as
the main dirt road. Turn right and follow the road out to the front of the ridge
(about ½ mile). When the road branches in three directions, take the middle
branch and drive 100 yards to the crest of the ridge. You are on launch.
The "Back Way" to the Campground and
LZ
If you are going to the LZ or the campground, stay on
Nacimiento-Fergusson Road for another 7 miles until it joins Highway 1. Turn
left and drive a few miles until you see large, open, flat fields on the west
side of the highway. The principal LZ is across the street from the Pacific Valley
Station of the Los Padres National Forest. Look for the big sign on the right
side of the highway. The entrance to the Plaskett
Creek Campground
is about a mile past the LZ, on the left.
 Brief Site Intro
 Pay
careful attention to the wind in the LZ before you drive up and bring binoculars
so you can see the amount of wind on the water when you get to the top.
The wind can be light at launch, but much stronger as you approach the front
(lower, N/S) ridge. You may have trouble penetrating, if you're not
careful. If you see a lot of movement in the trees as you drive up to
launch, it will probably be blown out when you get to the top.
Don't
launch into the clouds/fog. (See the true story, below.)
Be
careful to notice the "true" wind direction. Sometimes,
particularly when the wind is coming from the south, it wraps around, gets
blocked by the trees and appears to be coming straight up. If the true
wind direction is from the south, be careful of the rotor off the trees just in
front (slightly to the south) of launch.
As
you launch, try to stay high and follow the top of the ridge in front of
launch. This is where you're most likely to catch some lift. Don't
let yourself get low to the left of the ridge. If you have to, you can
bail out on one of the grassy spots on the top of the ridge and then walk down
the path and re-launch at the flat, grassy area at the edge of the front
ridge. If you don't get any lift, bear to the right, towards the bare spot
along the front ridge. You will have a better chance of clearing the ridge
if you go this way. Once you clear the front ridge, you should have no
problem making it to one of the LZs.
"House
Thermals": In front of launch; along the E/W ridge in front of
launch; along the front ridge; along the ridge just north and south of the
Ranger Station.
The
Local
"911" Emergency Number is 831.384.7575.
 Big
Sur (True) Flying Story
Big
Sur Weather
Launch
Code - Monterey
Big
Sur Webcam
Los
Padres National Forest
| 
USHPA Advanced Paragliding
Instructor & Observer