North Boulder Flying Site Guidelines

Purpose

These guidelines are to be used by all pilots who fly on the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) in the North Boulder area. Their purpose is to detail the OSMP requirements for flying the launch and landing areas where hang gliding and paragliding are suitable. It is the RMHPA's hope that informal regulation of its own pilots who fly OSMP will mirror USHPA's self-regulation under the FAA. As we have experienced, it isn't difficult to lose a launch or landing area due to development or landowner concerns. Hang glider and paraglider pilots have been flying in Boulder since the early-seventies. Cooperation and good stewardship are necessary to keep these sites open.

Philosophy

The RMHPA supports hang gliding and paragliding activities within the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. All pilots must abide by the requirements and follow all of the strong encouragements as well as the City Regulations mentioned below to stay within the spirit of these guidelines and ensure our continued access to OSMP lands. Contact any of the officers of the RMHPA if you wish to record a significant deviation from these guidelines. This will help in the effort to monitor the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks flying sites. Contact OSMP at 303-441-3440 if you wish to report an illegal activity or call 9-1-1 for an emergency. RMHPA will continue to work with the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks on future recreational-management plans concerning hang gliding and paragliding activities. These guidelines are subject to revision if any new issues arise.

City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks General Site Guidelines

1. USHPA’s site insurance policy requires all pilots, including first-day students and visiting pilots, be USHPA members at the time of their use of OSMP sites. This provides uniform third-party liability insurance for all pilots. You may call USHPA at 800-616-6888 or visit them on-line at www.ushpa.org. All students are encouraged to hire only USHPA-rated paragliding or hang gliding instructors. All students can and should report any safety-related complaints to USHPA. Local schools can be found in the yellow pages or on the RMHPA's website at www.rmhpa.org. Schools are strongly encouraged to distribute a copy of these guidelines to each student before they receive instruction at any Boulder OSMP site. Copies are distributed free upon request from the RMHPA or can be downloaded from www.rmhpa.org.

2. RMHPA requires all pilots to join the club before flying at OSMP sites. This is necessary for two reasons. First, OSMP requires RMHPA to insure the sites on their property. This insurance provides different coverage than your USHPA membership insurance. Your membership supports this expense. Second, USHPA site insurance requirements specify that all pilots that fly an insured site be members of the organization insuring the site. In addition, your membership is a way for you to ensure you are informed of current site issues, concerns, and events. Membership information can be found at www.rmhpa.org under "Join the RMHPA."

3. All pilots are strongly encouraged to wear a suitable helmet while ground handling and required to wear one when flying a USHPA insured site. All pilots are strongly encouraged to wear a parachute except where explicitly supervised by a USHPA-rated Instructor. Pilots are strongly encouraged to have ratings equal to or greater than those shown for the sites in these guidelines.

4. All pilots are advised that City Regulations prohibit litter, such as flagging, as well as the removal of rocks or plants from their place on OSMP land. Any flagging used must be removed at the end of each flying day.

Pilots are strongly encouraged to consider their small incremental impact on the erosion of the land. The following OSMP Site Use Requirements will help to minimize erosion. 

• Do not use the sites at all when the ground is very wet or muddy
• Use only designated trails to get to/from launch and landing areas, stay on the trail
• Diversify your exit from landing areas to the nearest designated trail
• Do not create a social trails by repeatedly using the same unofficial path to a launch area
• When possible, launch from, or close to, a designated trail
• Avoid travelling in or through the gullies except on existing designated trails
• Shake out your gear in the LZ before going back up to launch to minimize unwanted weeds, like cheat and jointed goat grass, that hitchhike.
• If a set-up or launch area is looking worn, diversify your activity to allow the area time to recover.

City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Specific Site Guidelines

Guidelines for Wonderland Lakes Area

Parking in the Locust Avenue area is generally not a problem for small numbers of pilots. However, large groups are encouraged to carpool in from the Foothills Nature Center Trailhead at 4201 North Broadway, Boulder.

The Wonderland Lake upper, three-quarter and half-way, or bench, launches are H2/P2 or Supervised H1/P1.

Follow the OSMP site use requirements listed above.

NOTE: Scott Westfall's property is considered Private. Please do not Trespass. Launching from there is by invitation only.

Guidelines for the South Wonderland Lake Launch

This is a drop-off-only launch area.  Do not park on Pine Needle Road.  Pilots accessing the launch from the west side of the ridge are required to be dropped off with their gear at the pull-out/turnaround area of Pine Needle Road (see map), while the driver returns to the Foothills Nature Center or Locust Avenue parking areas.  Illegal parking on Pine Needle Road is enforced by the Boulder County Sheriff and Open Space and Mountain Parks Rangers. 

Please respect the privacy of property owners. Do not drive beyond the pull-out area, as there are no other places to turn around. Do not turn around in private driveways.

This launch area is H2/P2 or Supervised H1/P1.

Follow the OSMP site use requirements listed above.

Final Notes

Dakota Hogback is no longer an authorized hang gliding or paragliding site. This launch and landing area closed effective June 23, 2003.

Mount Sanitas is not an authorized hang gliding or paragliding site.

The First Flatiron is not an authorized hang gliding or paragliding site.

The West Beech property is not an authorized hang gliding or paragliding site.

Flagstaff is not an authorized hang gliding or paragliding site.

HWY128/Windfarm - was closed on March 26, 2003

Eldorado/Matterhorn - was closed on March 26, 2003

Contacts

City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks - North Boulder Flying Site Guidelines

Published by the Rocky Mountain Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

Originally Published February 1994

Last Updated March 4, 2008

Questions, Issues, Concerns?

Contact us or call the current OSMP Liaisons;

Bob Kanick 720-840-5380 and Kay Tauscher 303-817-0803.