Last Saturday, I spent 3 hours in a crowded drop zone parking lot, waiting for a plane slot that kept getting pushed back because of a stream of first-time tandem passengers and student AFF jumps. By the time I finally got on the plane, I'd dodged three lost newbies wandering across the landing area, answered 12 questions from a 19-year-old on his first solo jump about how to pack a parachute, and watched a group of 4-way intermediate jumpers cut into my landing pattern mid-final approach. I landed frustrated, packed my gear in 10 minutes, and drove 4 hours out of state to a drop zone I'd found on a random skydiving forum two years prior. By the next morning, I'd done three 15,000-foot freefly jumps, watched a moose wander across the landing meadow, and only spoken to two other people the entire day.
If you're an advanced skydiver (USPA B-license or higher, 500+ jumps, comfortable navigating remote landing areas and self-managing your jumps without instructor supervision), you know the pain of crowded commercial drop zones. Weekends are packed with tandems, student jumps, and intermediate jumpers clogging up airspace, waiting in line for loads, and turning a fun jump day into a logistical headache. The hidden drop zones on this list don't have that circus---and they're not for new jumpers. These are remote, small, almost exclusively for licensed advanced skydivers, and offer the kind of solitude you can't find at a big commercial DZ. No wait times, no newbie traffic, just you, the sky, and terrain most skydivers will never get to jump over.
We selected these spots based on four non-negotiable criteria: fewer than 400 total jumps per month, no mandatory guided jumps for licensed skydivers, unique scenic exit points, and landing areas with no public access to eliminate random crowds. Every spot on this list has been tested by our team of veteran jumpers, and we've included pro tips to make your trip as smooth as possible.
Skydive Del Norte, Durango, Colorado
Tucked in the San Juan Mountains outside of Durango, this tiny DZ is only open May through October, and runs a maximum of 2 loads a day, 95% of which are filled with licensed advanced jumpers. They almost never host tandem or student operations, so you won't have to share airspace with new jumpers at all.
Your exit point is 14,000 feet over the Animas River Gorge, with unobstructed views of 13,000-foot snow-capped San Juan peaks in every direction. They allow everything from standard freefly to 8-way formation jumps, and offer wingsuit jumps for jumpers with the appropriate rating---the narrow canyon walls make for incredible proximity flying opportunities with almost no air traffic conflict. The landing area is a private 20-acre meadow surrounded by national forest, with no public access, so you'll never have to dodge hikers or tourists on approach.
Pro tip: They only take 6 jumpers per load on weekdays, so if you book a midweek slot, you'll often have the entire Cessna Caravan to yourself. Bring extra layers---even in July, the wind chill at 14,000 feet in the San Juans can drop to 20F, and they don't have a heated terminal on site.
Skydive Tongass, Ketchikan, Alaska
Most people associate Ketchikan with cruise ship tourists and salmon fishing, but this tiny DZ is tucked 20 miles outside of town on a remote airstrip on the edge of Tongass National Forest. Open only June through September, it runs 1 load a day on weekdays, 2 on weekends, and almost never hosts tandems or student jumps. They only allow jumpers with a USPA B-license or higher and at least 200 jumps, so you won't be stuck next to a first-timer on the plane.
Your exit point is 12,000 feet over old-growth temperate rainforest, glacier-carved fjords, and the Pacific Ocean---on clear days, you can spot humpback whales and pods of orcas from freefall. The landing area is a gravel airstrip next to a tiny family-run fishing lodge, with no public access outside of DZ hours.
Pro tip: Bring a waterproof, windproof jumpsuit---southeast Alaska gets rain 60% of summer days, and the wind at exit altitude will cut right through a standard skydiving jumpsuit. If you have your water jump rating, they offer a designated landing zone on a remote, uninhabited fjord for experienced jumpers only.
Skydive Marfa, West Texas
Tucked 15 miles outside the tiny art town of Marfa, this DZ operates on a 500-acre private ranch in the Chihuahuan Desert, and is only open September through November and March through May (the west Texas summer heat makes jumps above 10,000 feet miserable, and the wind is too unpredictable). It runs 1 load a day on weekdays, 2 on weekends, and bans all tandem and student jumps on weekdays entirely, so the only people on site are licensed advanced jumpers.
Your exit point is 13,500 feet, with unobstructed views of the Davis Mountains, the desert floor, and the famous Marfa Lights on clear nights. They allow freefly, formation, and wingsuit jumps, and the vast, empty landing area means you can do everything from big group formation jumps to solo freestyle with zero risk of hitting other jumpers.
Pro tip: Stay at their on-site bunkhouse for $15 a night---it's basic, with a shared kitchen and no Wi-Fi, but the DZ owner is a veteran 10,000-jump tandem instructor who can give you beta on hidden jump spots and local camping areas if you want to extend your trip. They also run monthly licensed-only night jumps during the full moon, with no crowds and zero light pollution for incredible freefall views.
Skydive Glenorchy, New Zealand
Everyone knows the packed Queenstown DZ, but this tiny outpost is 45 minutes outside of town in the tiny village of Glenorchy, on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and the Southern Alps. It runs 1 load a day on weekdays, 2 on weekends, and almost exclusively serves licensed advanced jumpers---they only take first-timers on weekends, and even then, only 4 per load, so they never clog up the airspace.
Your exit point is 15,000 feet, with views of snow-capped alpine peaks, glacial lakes, and the surrounding Fiordland National Park. They allow wingsuit jumps, and the alpine terrain makes for incredible proximity flying with almost no other air traffic in the area. The landing area is a private sheep farm, with no public access, so you won't have to deal with tourists or hikers on approach.
Pro tip: Book at least 2 weeks in advance, they only take 4 jumpers per load on weekdays, so you can often book the entire plane for your group. If you have a BASE rating, they offer day trips to nearby cliff jump spots for small groups of licensed jumpers, no guides required.
Skydive Skye, Isle of Skye, Scotland
This is the most remote spot on the list, only open June through August, and runs just 1 load a day, 4 days a week. They only allow jumpers with a USPA B-license or higher and at least 200 jumps, no tandems, no students, no exceptions.
Your exit point is 10,000 feet over the jagged Cuillin Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean, and the remote white sand beaches on the island's west coast. On clear late-summer nights, you can even spot the Northern Lights from freefall. The DZ is run by a small team of Scottish veteran jumpers, with no frills, no pro shop, no cafe---just a small hangar, a portable toilet, and a pickup truck to shuttle jumpers to the landing area, which is a remote field on the edge of a loch, with no public access.
Pro tip: Bring a thick thermal jumpsuit and gloves---even in July, the temperature at 10,000 feet over Skye rarely breaks 40F, and the wind off the Atlantic is brutal. If you have your water jump rating, they allow landings on the remote nearby beach, as long as you coordinate with the DZ team ahead of time to make sure there are no swimmers or tourists in the water.
Quick Tips for Visiting Hidden Drop Zones
These small, remote DZs don't have the amenities of big commercial operations, so keep these rules in mind to make your trip smooth:
- Book slots as far in advance as possible. Most of these spots only take 4-6 jumpers per load, and weekend slots fill up months ahead of peak season.
- Bring all your own gear if you can. Most small hidden DZs don't have rental gear for advanced jumpers, and even if they do, it's often not suited for the unique local conditions (like cold-weather jumps in Alaska or Scotland).
- Pack extra supplies. None of these DZs have on-site cafes, pro shops, or even Wi-Fi most of the time. Bring your own snacks, water, extra layers, and a portable charger if you need it.
- Respect the land. Almost all of these DZs operate on private land or in protected national park areas. Don't wander off the designated landing area, pack out all your trash, and follow any local rules the DZ team gives you.
- Tip the staff well. Most of these DZs are run by small teams of veteran jumpers who rely on jumper support to stay open, and they often go out of their way to help you have a great jump day.
I still think about that day at Skydive Del Norte last summer. I was the only jumper on the 2pm weekday load, the pilot was a 70-year-old veteran who'd been jumping for 40 years, and we spent 20 minutes circling the Animas Gorge at 14,000 feet so I could take photos of the peaks below before we exited. I did a 2-minute solo freefly jump, landed 10 minutes later, and sat on the meadow for an hour eating a granola bar, watching the sun set over the mountains, without a single person interrupting me.
That's the kind of jump day you can't get at a crowded commercial DZ. Take the time to find one of these hidden spots, and you'll never want to go back to waiting in line for a plane slot again.