North Boulder (Wonderland)

Basic Description: The wonderland lake area in Boulder hosts a 600' hikeup site with a primarily East exposure. Site elevation is ~6000' MSL. This is a USHPA site and is further regulated by RMHPA.

Getting There: 

Primary Launch: The primary parking space for hiking is at  40° 3'14.12"N 105°17'22.26"W, due south of Foothills Community Park. From here hike west to the large pedestrian trail, south for .5miles, and then head up the clear trail to launch at  40° 3'21.92"N 105°17'59.52"W.

Drive Up Launch: Take Linden west to North Cedar Brook Rd. Turn right (North). Turn Right (East) onto Pine Needle Rd (dirt road). If you leave a vehicle, it needs to be parked pretty far West on the road. The most obvious parking spot is also the only one with a no parking sign. From here, hike to the end of Pine Needle Rd through the obvious hiking gate. Follow the path around the ridge and then along the ridge to the north. Launch is at  40° 2'53.78"N 105°17'59.01"W.

Launch: There are 3 good flat areas to launch from at the main launch. We call these the 50%, 75% and main launches. The 50% is a great place for students to run off. Otherwise you will want to stick to the main launch. On days with a strong North component, you can launch North into the "Death Gulley". On NE days, there is a nice venturi here which can generate substantial lift.

The driveup launch is pretty straightforward. Run to the ENE down the obvious slope.

Landing Zone: The only Boulder County approved LZ is in the soccer field. Technically landing anywhere else is not approved. The park is all open space so hiking off trail in anywhere that is not labeled as a wildlife preservation area is OK. That said, rangers still frown upon landing anywhere but the soccer field. See the map for other LZs which have been used but are not recommended.

Exposure: The standard hikeup line is best for East or SE days. A light due south wind can be launched here as well. The driveup and death gulley work well for NE days. The standard launch is not recommended on strong North days.

Weather: You can check the North Boulder Ridge site on Wunderground for pretty reliable data. You want anything from 200degrees to 320 degrees. You can also check the Boulder Airport to see that the two agree. The Boulder Airport will typically have a much stronger wind than the ridge.