Location: 8 miles north of Reno, NV. Drive north on Hwy 395 to Stead Blvd exit. Turn left onto Stead Blvd. Drive under the freeway and then turn right onto North Virginia St. Drive. Drive north and turn left onto the dirt road by the green water tank. Follow the dirt road up the mountain to the launches.
Launch Direction: N, NE, E.
Seasons: Spring through Fall. Winter if snow hasn’t made the launch inaccessible.
Launch Elevation: 8,200’, 8,100'
LZ Elevation: 5,100'
Pilot Rating: Intermediate (H3), Advanced (H4).
Type Launch: Bowl launch is a steep, grassy slope with some bushes. Tower launch is a steep slope with loose dirt and rocks. High density altitudes in the summer often exceed 10,000’.
LZ Location: No designated regular LZ. Bailout field behind the Zoo, right off North Virginia. You can also fly out across the Hwy 395 and land along the south side of White Lake or the west side of Silver Lake.
Type landing: Rocky and grassy field with a slight down slope from SE to NW. Many other fields can be used for LZ’s further away from the site.
Setup Area: Unlimited grassy area behind bowl launch. Small rocky, dirt area at tower launch.
Site Protocol: Controlled airspace areas all around the site. Look at an area sectional to familiarize yourself with the airspace restrictions.
Launch Access: Semi-maintained dirt road with a 30 – 40 minute turnaround. 2WD with good clearance.
Info Contact: Any local pilot. The Reno area soaring forecast is at [1]
Miscellaneous: Excellent high altitude mountain flying and XC site. Strong thermals. Watch for dust devils at launch and in the valley. Development has covered up the old LZ’s.
Coordinates: Bowl Launch – N 39° 35.630’ W 119° 56.120’
Tower Launch – N 39° 35.370’ W 119° 55.720’
LZ – N 39° 37.240’ W 119° 54.635’