Last summer, I spent 3 hours stuck in a loading line at a crowded Arizona drop zone, watching a stream of tandem tourists and AFF students file onto the plane before I even got a spot. By the time I finally exited at 13,000 feet, my freefall time was cut short by a gaggle of student jumpers drifting into my planned sitfly drill, and I spent the rest of the day fuming at the lack of space for advanced freefly work. That's when a local jumper handed me a crumpled napkin with 4 drop zone names scrawled on it, and told me, "If you actually want to jump, stop going to the tourist traps." Those 4 spots changed my entire freefly training routine---and none of them show up on the "top drop zones in the Southwest" lists you see on skydiving forums.
All of these drop zones are located across Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, cater exclusively to licensed jumpers (no tandems, no AFF students unless you opt in), have 13,500+ foot exit altitudes, and minimal air traffic so you can spend your entire freefall time working on sitfly, head-down, or big way formations without interruption. No tourist traps, no long wait times, no randos cutting into your airspace.
Skydive Moab, Utah: Red Rock Freefall With Zero Crowds
Tucked between the red rock canyons that make Moab a world-famous hiking and climbing destination, this tiny DZ is a well-kept secret among advanced freeflyers in the region. It operates just 3 miles outside of town, with a 14,500-foot exit altitude that gives you a full 70 seconds of freefall time---plenty of room to work on 4-way sitfly drills or practice head-down stability without rushing. The drop zone sits over a vast, empty stretch of high desert, with zero commercial air traffic and no other skydiving operations within 20 miles, so you'll never have to worry about another jumper drifting into your airspace. The landing area is a 1-mile-wide dry lake bed, completely flat and obstacle-free, so even if you mess up a landing on a hard-packed snow day (they run jumps from late May through early October), you'll have plenty of space to safe out. The only catch? They only run 2-3 loads per day on weekends, and they don't take walk-ins---you have to book your spot at least 48 hours in advance. Pro tip: Go in the fall, when the summer crowds have died down and the crisp, stable air makes for the smoothest freefall you'll ever experience.
Skydive Roswell, New Mexico: Alien-Level Quiet For Big Way Practice
Everyone knows Roswell for the 1947 UFO incident, but almost no one realizes the tiny DZ 10 miles outside of town is one of the best spots in the country for advanced freefly. Its 15,000-foot exit altitude is the highest of any DZ in the Southwest, giving you a full 75 seconds of freefall time---perfect for 8-way or bigger formation jumps that most other regional DZs can't accommodate due to limited altitude. The airspace over the high desert is almost entirely unrestricted, with only rare military flights that are posted to NOTAMs weeks in advance, so you can plan big way jumps months out without worrying about last-minute airspace closures. The DZ is so low-key that they only run loads on weekends, and 90% of the jumpers there are advanced freeflyers working on big ways or sitfly drills---no AFF students, no tandem tourists, no randos cutting into your formations. The landing area is a 2-mile-wide dry ranch field, with soft, sandy soil that's forgiving on hard landings. Pro tip: Bring extra layers, even in the summer---the high desert temperature drops 30 degrees as soon as you climb to exit altitude, and the wind at 15,000 feet is no joke.
Skydive Mesquite, Nevada: Wind-Protected Jumps Right Off the Strip
Mesquite is a tiny town on the Arizona-Nevada border, 45 minutes from Las Vegas, and most people only go there for the cheap casinos and golf courses. The DZ there is a total hidden gem, and it's the only Southwest DZ that's sheltered from wind nearly 90% of the year, thanks to the surrounding valley walls. That means you can jump on days when every other DZ within 100 miles is grounded for gusty conditions---a huge perk for freeflyers, since wind is the number one reason you can't practice sitfly or head-down drills. The DZ only licenses B-license and higher jumpers, so you'll never have to deal with student traffic or tandem passengers clogging the airspace, and its 14,000-foot exit altitude gives you 65 seconds of freefall time for drills. The landing area is a 1.5-mile-wide grass field, which is way softer than the desert or dry lake bed landings at other regional DZs, so it's perfect if you're logging a lot of big way jumps and want to reduce landing impact on your knees and ankles. They also have a small on-site bunkhouse that you can rent for $20 a night, so you can do back-to-back loads all weekend without driving an hour back to Vegas. Pro tip: They run a weekly sitfly and head-down practice group on Saturday mornings, so if you're looking to jump with other advanced freeflyers, book the Saturday load and ask to join the group when you reserve your spot.
Skydive Truth or Consequences, New Mexico: Low-Key Jumps With Post-Jump Hot Springs
Truth or Consequences (locals just call it T or C) is a tiny, off-the-beaten-path town in southern New Mexico, named after the 1950s game show, and its tiny DZ is one of the most underrated spots for advanced freeflyers in the entire Southwest. Its 13,500-foot exit altitude gives you 55 seconds of freefall time, which is perfect if you're working on smaller group drills (2-3 way sitfly or head-down) rather than big 8+ way formations. The drop zone sits over the Rio Grande valley, where the air is almost perfectly stable 80% of the year, with almost no wind gusts, so it's ideal if you're newer to advanced freefly and want to practice without fighting unpredictable wind. The DZ only runs 1-2 loads per day on weekends, and they almost never have more than 6 jumpers on a single load, so you'll have the entire airspace to yourself to work on drills without interruption. They also allow solo freefly jumps for licensed jumpers, which most crowded regional DZs ban for safety reasons, so you can practice head-down or sitfly alone if you don't want to jump with a group. The best part? The town is famous for its natural hot springs, so after a day of jumping, you can soak in a 100-degree mineral pool to soothe your sore muscles before grabbing a cheap taco at a local food truck. Pro tip: Book your spot at least a week in advance in the spring, when the wildflowers are blooming and the air is crisp and stable for freefall.
Pro Tips For Hitting These Hidden Spots
Most of these DZs are run by part-time staff or volunteers, so they don't have full-time rental gear for advanced freeflyers---bring your own rig, altimeter, and goggles, and make sure your gear is in top shape before you head out, as most of them don't have on-site riggers. Second, check NOTAMs and airspace restrictions before you book your trip, especially for Roswell and T or C, which are near military training ranges that occasionally have restricted airspace. Third, these are small, rural communities, so be respectful of local rules: don't jump outside of scheduled load times, don't litter the landing area, and support local businesses when you're in town. Most of these DZs only stay open because local jumpers and advanced visitors respect the space, so don't be the jumper who ruins it for everyone by cutting in line or ignoring safety rules. Fourth, bring extra water, snacks, and layers---none of these DZs have full-service cafes or gear shops, so you can't rely on them to have food, drinks, or extra gear if you forget something.
I've been jumping at these 4 spots for the last 2 years, and I've logged more sitfly and head-down hours in that time than I did in the 5 years prior, all without waiting in a single loading line or dealing with a tandem tourist drifting into my airspace. Advanced freefly doesn't have to mean fighting crowds at overpriced, tourist-heavy drop zones---these hidden Southwest gems give you the space, altitude, and stability you need to push your skills, all with some of the most stunning scenery in the country. Grab your rig, book a load, and skip the crowds: your next big way formation is waiting.