Piute Canyon | Utah Back Country Pilots Association

Piute Canyon

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Airstrip Info

Frequency 122.90
Elevation 4952 ft
Lat/Long 37.6495, -110.2989
37° 38.97' , -110° 17.934'
Runway 6/24 1541 ft x 40 ft
Soft dirt
Rwy 6 Uphill 3.2%
Ownership BLM

Weather

See more at the National Weather Center

Information updated May 13, 2021 @ 7:55pm

Description: A seriously remote airstrip located in the Red Canyon area, this place begs to be explored. At one point a Piper Warrior can be seen landing here on YouTube, but the strip is becoming more a part of the landscape now. Remnants of old mining activity are still strewn about the airstrip with piles of concrete rubble and other miscellaneous oddities. Camping here would put you in the heart of Dark Sky territory and you may loose the ability to discern constellations. Multiple deep washes and slots surround the airstrip and you could easily evade capture if you were a wanted character in the Wild West!
 
Runway: Not completely off limits to smaller tires, but shrubs and grass cover the runway making it more rough than it appears. The runway slopes uphill to the east but is very difficult to detect. 
 
Approach: No obstructions on either approach, but located in a canyon area the winds here can be unforgiving. Descending below the canyon rim, the swirling winds and turbulence may force a discontinued approach. The best chance of the successful approach and landing likely would be accomplished in the morning hours. 
 
Parking: A flat area located just off the runway to the east provides a flat grassy area for camping. No cell phone coverage. 
Regan Richmond visited 1 year ago in a C-150/150 with 8.00 tires

Definite soft field landing with a few very small erosion areas towards the NE end. Small grass and brush on and near runway for most of the length of it. Turning around requires some momentum and wide radius to avoid getting stuck (I learned first hand that doing different resulted in having to get unstuck).

2 Likes , 0 Comments


Marc Lassaux visited 1 year ago in a ICP Savannah S with 21 tires

After the moisture this winter, the grasses and weeds have grown quite a bit. A little bumpier than the last time I was in to Piute. The SW portion of the runway is much softer than the NE portion. Landing to the west the runway slopes down to the west, particularly on the eastern end. I really like this strip because it's so remote and such a beautiful area.

1 Like , 0 Comments


Cory Wolf visited 1 year ago in a C205 with 850 tires

What a cool spot. Definitely need to come back and do some exploring. The strip is a mix of soft sand with spots of semi firm areas. The edges are very soft. I’d say not a place for smaller tires. Very remote. Easy camping next to your plane. No windsock or fire rings. Winds can get erratic here and DA could be an issue, especially combined with the soft surface. Thanks to those that have removed some brush. More could be done with a work party. A sock would be very beneficial here too.

2 Likes , 1 Comment


Paul Barry

thanks for the report Cory, the winds in that area swirl around a lot. Same thing happens at nearby wee hope mine.

1 year ago
Marc Lassaux visited 2 years ago in a ICP Savannah S with 8.00-6 tires

Amazing area. We knocked out some of the larger clump grass and other vegetation from the middle of the runway so it should be a little less bumpy now. The best usable portion of the runway is narrow. The are some old mining ruins north of the north east end of the runway. It looks like there once was an old windsock mounted to a wooden pole just off the eastern end of the runway. See pics for images of both. A really neat spot and very remote. Here is a link to a takeoff video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QGwo6yKz98vezTj1A

5 Likes , 0 Comments


William Lipscomb visited 2 years ago in a PA-18 with 31" tires

Runway is good enough for most backcountry aircraft. Slightly uphill landing to north. Extremely remote.

3 Likes , 0 Comments


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