Goodsprings (Las Vegas)

• Wind directionNE (45°) → S (180°)
• Ideal speed5–12 mph
• Upper limits≤ 15 mph base · gusts ≤ 18

Goodsprings (aka Lower Potosi), ~6,000-6,158 ft MSL with ~1,800 ft vertical, is a desert thermal site run by the Desert Skywalkers (Las Vegas club). It has TWO launches: a NE/E-facing front launch (works in easterly winds, faces the Vegas valley) and a S-facing back launch (works in southerly winds). The Desert Skywalkers explicitly state 5-12 mph on either launch makes ideal conditions, so the ideal arc spans roughly NE (45) through S (180) covering both launches; SW/W (180-300) is marginal/cross and tied to the wraparound flow. HAZARD: rotor is a well-documented problem here — prevailing wind blowing over the mountaintop can curl and make wind appear to come up-slope from the opposite direction, fooling pilots into launching into rotor; verify true wind direction, not just the up-slope feel. Strong desert thermals: this is one of the best XC sites in Southern Nevada (Nevada distance record of ~62 mi started here). Best season for HG is winter, late fall, early spring; warmer months pilots shift to nearby SW-facing Tabletop. Morning/smooth-air launch advised before midday thermal overdevelopment given the high desert. Access via Goodsprings town -> Kingston (dirt) Road; high-clearance helpful. Site is for experienced thermal/XC pilots; treat rotor and overdevelopment as the primary risks. Degree arcs are inferred from the two launch orientations (paraglidingEarth octants NE,E,SE,S,SW,W); the 5-12 mph speed range is an explicit club figure.