Big Sur - Wild cattle
📍 California , Monterey County · Nearest city: King City (40 km)
11 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 974 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
35.97090, -121.45300Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-21 02:54 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Not recommended for flying, cloud base ~36 m, strong wind (38 km/h), precipitation 5.8 mm.
base ~36m · wind 38 km/h · precip 5.8mmMarginal conditions, cloud base ~325 m, wind 13 km/h, precipitation 0.7 mm.
base ~325m · wind 13 km/h · precip 0.7mmMarginal conditions, cloud base ~1256 m, wind 8 km/h.
base ~1256m · wind 8 km/hComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
🌬 Daily wind (next days)
Daily summary (10m wind). Full hour × altitude chart is being added progressively.
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 0 | Low |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.00 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.33 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
Please Note: The roads to launch are periodically closed, due to forest fires and landslides. Before traveling to Big Sur for flying, please check with the Los Padres National Forest (805.968.6640) to make sure that the roads to launch are open. They are serious about the road closures, with fines of $5,000-$10,000 and up to six months in jail, and the local residents are on the lookout for violators.
Pilot comments
Normally a beginner site, beware of wind shear from lower layer of air from the ocean.
Nearby sites
Big Sur - Knobett (0) · Little Sur (Monterey) (3) · Garrapata (5) · Goat Mountain LZ (5) · Marina State Beach, Lake Court Dune www.coastalcondors.org (8) · Marina State Beach, Reservation Rd. www.coastalcondors.org (6)