Van Curlers, AK

The Van Curlers airstrip is a small, public-use dirt strip located in a remote area of interior Alaska, east of Fairbanks, next to the Chena River. It sits at an elevation of 2,400 feet MSL and has a runway roughly 3,500 feet long, making it suitable for light bush aircraft.

The strip is directly tied to the Van Curlers Bar mining area, which has a long and well-documented history. Placer gold mining activity was first recorded there in 1912, with further operations in 1921 and again from 1927 through 1940, followed by sporadic mining and prospecting continuing as late as 1981. Both dredging and hydraulic mining methods were used at the site. As recently as 2006, large aircraft such as a Carvair were using the strip to deliver equipment and supplies to the mining camp.

Beyond its mining role, the airstrip has also served as an access point for outdoor recreation in the area. Hunters and floaters have used the landing strip at Van Curlers Bar as a drop-off point to access the upper reaches of the Chena River drainage. The river itself is a draw in its own right — the Chena is considered the most popular sport-fishing river in interior Alaska, supporting species including Arctic grayling, northern pike, burbot, king salmon, chum salmon, and whitefish. In the upper reaches near Van Curlers, fishing regulations are catch-and-release only for Arctic grayling, with fly fishing using dry fly patterns such as mosquito and mayfly imitations being particularly productive. Spawning king and chum salmon can also be observed in the river from July through August, making it a scenic and active stretch of water for anyone flown into the area.