Sites/Cotopaxi
DOSSIER · 356SITE · NORTH AMERICA
38°23′44″N · 105°37′25″WLIVE CHART · OBSERVED 1359Z
Airworthy · 3+
NORTH AMERICA · COLORADO · USA

Cotopaxi

ThermalRidgeTowXCSimulatedFoot Launch
ELEV 1,892 M / 6,207 FTTZ Mountain Daylight Time

Specimen Sheet · Vital Statistics

Launch Elev1,892 m
Launch Elev FT6,207 ft MSL
Min Hang RatingH3
Best Wind149° · 10–20 kt
Coordinates38.3955° N
 -105.6236° E

Classification · Terrain & Access

Foot LaunchAerotow
§ 01CHART · LAUNCHES & LANDINGS

Field chart.

Launch point
Landing zone
Launch heading
3 LAUNCHES · 1 LZ · ALT RANGE 1,8922,638 M

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

Cotopaxi was a small train stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad along the Arkansas River. Though there is a store serving the main highway through the town (U.S. 50), there are no major businesses in Cotopaxi (owing to the small population) except for a whitewater rafting business that attracts thousands of tourists each year to ride on the Arkansas River.

Has 3 different launch points and at least 1 or more defined places that you can tow from. The best wind direction is 149 @ 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 cross country potential , all dependent on current weather conditions.

§ 03 · Wind Window · Best Operating EnvelopeSSE · 149° ±0°

NSEWNESENWSW
1020 kt
Primary · SSE · 149°
Envelope: 149° – 149° (±0°)
Preferred · 1015 ktWorkable · 1523 ktHazardous · >25 kt

Chase the Wind

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

Salida/Alexander Fld, CO, US

13:43 UTC

40 km from site

Wind

SE 130°

10 kt

Ceiling

SCT 0 ft

9 sm vis

SE 130° · 10 kt · 13:43 UTC

Flat top Launch (south)Crosswind (83°)
Lowe Airstrip (aerotow north)Crosswind (88°)
Lowe Airstrip (aerotow south)Crosswind (86°)

Select a time to check launches

Jan 21

Weather at , 40 km from Cotopaxi. 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

Latitude38.395487
Longitude-105.623593
DMS · N38°23′44″N
DMS · E105°37′25″W
Altitude1,892 m
Altitude FT6,207 ft
Time ZoneMountain Daylight Time
UTM13S 445 545 E · 4 274 785 N

§ 09 · Recent Flights · Log Book

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FILE № 356 · CLOSED 2026·03·21
THE HANG GLIDING FILES · THGF
✎ SURVEYED · NORTH AMERICA · USA