Coyote dry lake

• Wind directionSW (215°) → W (270°)
• Ideal speed10–18 mph
• Upper limits≤ 22 mph base · gusts ≤ 25

West/southwest-facing desert ridge soaring site near Joshua Tree, CA (BLM land, no flying restrictions as of reports, flown since ~1976). Works on S/SW/W winds per paraglidingEarth orientation; ridge runs ~4 miles long with one gap to cross, landing on a huge 4x6-mile dry lakebed. HAZARDS: site is very unforgiving — numerous injuries and near-fatal crashes, even among experienced pilots, with ~99% blamed on poor launch judgment. Wind can switch from flaccid to honking in short order with little or no warning, so be very conservative and picky about base speed (single-surface/low-AR gliders especially). Desert thermals add rotor/turbulence and overdevelopment of wind in midday/afternoon. BEST TIME: Spring and Fall, when winds are less consistently ferocious; fly mornings or settle for early/evening glass-off rather than mid-afternoon when desert wind tends to overdevelop. ACCESS/RATING: no formal site rating found, but conditions and consequences make this an intermediate-plus (P3+) site at minimum — strong launch and ground-handling skills required; if you miss the lakebed LZ it's a serious problem. Numeric direction arc and speed limits are inferred from orientation hint plus pilot reports (no club guide with explicit numbers located).