Empire Bluff

• Wind directionWSW (250°) → WNW (290°)
• Ideal speed10–18 mph
• Upper limits≤ 22 mph base · gusts ≤ 25

Empire Bluff is a ~400 ft west-facing headland over Lake Michigan in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, used as a coastal ridge/soaring site. Wind direction is well-confirmed by multiple sources: the slope faces WEST and works best in straight W onshore flow, but is tolerant of SW and NW (matching the SW/W/NW orientation hint). N/NW also referenced for Empire Bluffs specifically in one club note, but the dominant west-facing description and the paraglidingEarth octants point to W as the core, SW-NW as the usable arc. No source publishes explicit wind-speed limits, so the speed numbers are inferred typical coastal-ridge values for a 400 ft bluff (ideal ~10-18 mph, max base ~22 mph, gusts up to ~25 mph) and should be treated as a guideline, not a club spec. Hazards/access: cool lake-effect onshore air keeps the exposed bluff windy and notably cooler than the parking lot; landing on the beach below the bluff is effectively a no-recovery commitment (cannot climb the bluff face back up) - exit north to Empire Beach or south to Esch Road. Best soaring is early autumn when cool air over the still-warm lake adds thermal/convergence lift; mid-day onshore sea breeze can reinforce the ridge. Rating/access: USHPA P2+ (paraglider) / H3+ (hang glider) required; NPS Special Use Permit with $50 nonrefundable fee and registration at the Empire ranger station; limited to 5 gliders at a time; launches must start south of where the trail meets the bluff edge and within 15 ft of the trail; the bluff face must not be climbed.