Sites/Bentonite Hills
DOSSIER · 856SITE · NORTH AMERICA
38°21′50″N · 111°07′53″WLIVE CHART · OBSERVED 1402Z
Airworthy · 3+
NORTH AMERICA · UTAH · USA

Bentonite Hills

ThermalRidgeSimulatedFoot Launch
ELEV 1,676 M / 5,500 FTTZ Mountain Daylight Time

Specimen Sheet · Vital Statistics

Launch Elev1,676 m
Launch Elev FT5,500 ft MSL
Min Hang RatingH3
Best Wind290° · 10–20 kt
Coordinates38.3640° N
 -111.1314° E

Classification · Terrain & Access

Foot Launch
§ 01CHART · LAUNCHES & LANDINGS

Field chart.

Launch point
Landing zone
Launch heading
5 LAUNCHES · 5 LZs · ALT RANGE 1,5631,860 M

§ 02 · Flying Conditions · Field NotesUpdated 2026·03·21

The Bentonite Hills appear as softly-contoured, banded hills in varying hues of brown, red, purple, gray, and green. The hills are composed of the Brushy Basin shale member of the Morrison Formation. This layer was formed during Jurassic times when mud, silt, fine sand, and volcanic ash were deposited in swamps and lakes. Bentonite clay (altered volcanic ash) absorbs water and becomes very slick and gummy when wet, making vehicle or foot travel difficult or impossible. Repeated cycles of absorbing water and then drying results in a popcorn-like appearance on the clay's surface.

There are no trails through the Bentonite Hills. The surface is easily damaged; scars from footprints and tire tracks take many years to heal. Please only drive on the road and limit foot travel to firm, previously disturbed areas and wash bottoms.

Remember to leave no trace of your visit.

Has 5 different launch points. The best wind direction is 289.6 @ 10 knts but many sites can be flown from multiple directions, so check before you fly.

You can expect to find: thermal conditions ridge soaring conditions , all dependent on current weather conditions.

§ 03 · Wind Window · Best Operating EnvelopeWNW · 290° ±0°

NSEWNESENWSW
1020 kt
Primary · WNW · 290°
Envelope: 290° – 290° (±0°)
Preferred · 1015 ktWorkable · 1523 ktHazardous · >25 kt

Chase the Wind

Nearest weather station to Bentonite Hills. Select any row to see which launches are in wind, then set your MSFS world clock to that UTC time.

Hanksville Arpt, UT, US

13:43 UTC

38 km from site

Wind

Calm

0 kt

Ceiling

Clear

10+ sm vis

Calm · 0 kt · 13:43 UTC

Flattop LaunchCalm / Var
Sandstone Cliffs LaunchCalm / Var
The Butte Cliffs LaunchCalm / Var
The Ridge LaunchCalm / Var
The Ridge Overlook LaunchCalm / Var

Select a time to check launches

Jan 21

Weather at , 38 km from Bentonite Hills. Mountain conditions may differ — this is a clue, not a forecast. Adjust sim time on site until conditions feel right.

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§ 07 · Location · Field CoordinatesWGS-84

Latitude38.363955
Longitude-111.131399
DMS · N38°21′50″N
DMS · E111°07′53″W
Altitude1,676 m
Altitude FT5,500 ft
Time ZoneMountain Daylight Time
UTM12S 488 521 E · 4 246 255 N

§ 09 · Recent Flights · Log Book

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FILE № 856 · CLOSED 2026·03·21
THE HANG GLIDING FILES · THGF
✎ SURVEYED · NORTH AMERICA · USA