Elk Rock

Elk Rock is one of the two principal launches in Washington's Toutle River valley (the other being Twin Bowls) — a Cascade foothills site accessed from I-5 exit 49 and Highway 504. Twin Bowls sits at ~2,400 ft MSL and is used more commonly; Elk Rock steps up from there. From Twin Bowls the standard flight path runs south-west along the ridge line.

Getting there & local rules

From I-5 take Washington exit 49, then drive east on Highway 504. Twin Bowls is near mile marker 32 — 0.2 miles past MM32, park in the small pullout on the right and walk south-west over the small hill to a flat berm on the other side at 2,400 ft MSL. Primary Twin Bowls launch is the west side of the berm; the SE side is a secondary option. Standard flight path is SW along the ridge.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Elk Rock, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Elk Rock with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.