Hang gliding and paragliding near Palo Alto

Look east from Interstate 680 in Milpitas on a spring afternoon and you will often see hang gliders and paragliders drifting above the grassy hills. On the Peninsula, wings sometimes hang over the ridge at Windy Hill above Portola Valley. On the coast just south of San Francisco, pilots soar for hours along the sea cliffs at Fort Funston and Mussel Rock. Free flight has deep roots in the Bay Area and a few of its best-known sites are within an hour of Palo Alto.

This guide explains each site, who runs it and the rules as the clubs and park agencies publish them. It also covers how a first tandem flight works and where non-pilots can watch. Free flight is a sport with real risk. Learn from certified instructors and follow every site rule.

How flying sites work here

Most flying sites in the Bay Area sit on public parkland, but the flying itself is organized by clubs. The clubs negotiate access with park agencies, set site rules, check pilot ratings and maintain launches and windsocks. Pilots generally need:

• Current membership in the US Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA), which issues pilot ratings and insurance.
• A rating that meets the minimum for each launch. Hang gliding ratings run from H1 to H5 and paragliding from P1 to P5.
• Membership in the local club or a visiting pilot registration.
• A helmet and a reserve parachute, plus compliance with federal ultralight rules (FAR Part 103).

Visitors who simply want to try it book a tandem flight with a commercial school, which holds its own permits.

Ed R. Levin County Park, Milpitas

The most important inland site in the South Bay is Ed R. Levin County Park, a Santa Clara County park of 1,558 acres in the Diablo Range foothills. The Wings of Rogallo club runs flying there. The club says the site is open to pilots from students to H5 and P5, with minimum ratings set launch by launch.

The landing zone sits at about 540 feet above sea level. Other club rules: flying runs from 8 a.m. to one hour before sunset, pilots must be 18 or older, visiting pilots must fly with a full club member and everyone involved, including drivers and spectators helping pilots, signs the county's Ed Levin waiver. The club caps altitude over the park at 6,000 feet because of nearby airspace and busy helicopter traffic.

Access to the upper launches changes. On November 1, 2026 the county's park page said the 1,750-foot and 600-foot launch points were closed to vehicle traffic and the 300-foot launch point was open. The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset and charges a $6 vehicle fee. Cattle graze the hills, so give them space.

Windy Hill, Portola Valley

The closest site to Palo Alto is also the hardest. Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, run by Midpen, has a northeast-facing launch on the ridge above Portola Valley. The Wings of Rogallo club calls it the most technical site in the Bay Area because of the long glide to a confined landing zone and frequent strong wind at launch. Pilots need an H4 or P4 rating and an individually issued Midpen permit. In February 2026 the club said new permit requests were taking up to four months and pilots cannot fly until the permit arrives.

The club also warned that rangers had cited pilots for landing on Midpen land outside the preserve. For hikers, the preserve is open from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset. Hikers on the summit trails may see a wing launch on a good day, but there is no public program here.

The coast: Fort Funston and Mussel Rock

Fort Funston

The National Park Service calls Fort Funston, on 200-foot bluffs at the western edge of San Francisco, one of the premier hang gliding spots in the country. Steady onshore wind hitting the cliffs creates ridge lift that keeps gliders aloft for hours. The park service points pilots to a local club, the Fellow Feathers of Fort Funston. Paragliding San Francisco describes it as a pilots-only hang gliding site rather than a place for tandem rides. It is a fine place to watch. Bank swallows nest in holes in the cliffs from March to June, so stay on the trails.

Mussel Rock

About 4 miles south, the bluffs at Mussel Rock in Daly City are the main coastal paragliding site. Paragliding San Francisco flies tandem flights here and teaches lessons from an intro day through P2, P3 and P4 certification, plus a Mussel Rock site introduction for visiting pilots. Its tandem page lists flights for ages 14 and up, seven days a week from noon to sunset, at a listed price of $189 per person when we checked. Coastal wind decides everything, so expect reschedules. Our Pacifica guide covers the coast just south.

What a tandem flight is like

1. Booking. Pick a date with flexibility. Operators watch the wind forecast and may move your slot.
2. Briefing. The pilot explains how to run at launch and how to sit back once airborne. You wear a harness and helmet.
3. Launch. A few running steps into the wind lift the wing overhead and off you go.
4. Flight. Coastal ridge soaring is smoothest when the wind is steady.
5. Landing. Ask where you will land before you launch. Keep your legs ready to run or slide.

Wear closed shoes, long pants and layers, since the coast is often cold and windy. Ask about weight limits when booking.

Learning to fly

Getting your own rating takes many days spread over weeks or months, starting on small training hills like those at Ed Levin. Paragliding San Francisco lists its P2 course as the first certification step. Expect to spend time ground handling a wing before you leave the ground. Once rated, joining the local club gives you access to its sites, radio frequency and chat groups. Club fees and site rules change, so check each club's pages.

Watching safely

Most of these sites need a car. You can compare rental cars for a flying weekend. Combine Fort Funston with our San Francisco day trip or follow a morning at Ed Levin with an afternoon from our San Jose guide. Check our weather guide for wind patterns by season.

Frequently asked questions