HOODOO, ID

Location Overview
Hoodoo Meadows sits high in the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Lemhi County, Idaho, just south of Yellowjacket Lake and near the well-known Bighorn Crags. It lies close to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and provides one of the few air entry points into the vast Frank Church – Wilderness of No Return. As the highest airstrip in the state, it's perched in classic Idaho high-country terrain, surrounded by peaks and alpine meadows.

Camping & Recreation
The area has long been a draw for alpine lake fishing, wildlife viewing, and big game hunting, and the strip is also known for offering primitive camping and access to hunting and fishing. A nearby campground and road access mean it also functions as a trailhead, and its reopening was intended to add another trailhead to a popular area for hunters and anglers, helping to relieve pressure and crowding in other parts of the forest.

Notes & Warnings
This is a serious backcountry strip meant for experienced mountain pilots only. It sits at roughly 8,233 feet elevation with a runway about 2,200 feet long, and pilots should expect density altitude corrections reflecting performance conditions equivalent to operating above 10,000 feet during summer. The field rests on a sloped mountainside, so pilots should circle the field to assess traffic before approaching, as the strip sits on a mountain slope with a pronounced grade, and landing uphill while departing downhill is strongly recommended. Historically it was rated as hazardous terrain, and the site was even rated marginal for safety in the early 1980s before closure — despite this, no accidents were recorded during the nearly 50 years it was in service. The original closure was driven largely by unpredictable afternoon winds at its high elevation, so timing a visit for calmer morning conditions is wise.

History
The airstrip dates back to 1936, when it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and managed by the U.S. Forest Service as a way to reach remote fishing and hunting grounds. It served pilots for decades before falling into disrepair, ultimately closing in the mid-1980s as trees encroached on the runway and it became unsafe to use. It sat dormant for roughly 30 years until 2016, when the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, joined by the Idaho Division of Aeronautics and the U.S. Forest Service, began pushing to restore it after years of public requests. With support from the Idaho Aviation Association and the Recreational Aviation Foundation, volunteers cleared decades of overgrowth and rebuilt the strip, and it was formally added to Idaho's roster of backcountry airstrips, reopening a piece of aviation history to a new generation of backcountry pilots.