Description

Location Overview
Schafer Meadows sits along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in the Great Bear Wilderness, part of the larger Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in northwest Montana. It's a genuinely remote spot, reachable only by small aircraft, on foot, or on horseback, with the nearest trailhead roughly 14 miles away. The Schafer Ranger Station, a U.S. Forest Service outpost, is located right at the strip.

Camping & Recreation
The airstrip is a launch point for one of Montana's premier wilderness float trips, with rafters and kayakers flying in to run a stretch of the Middle Fork known for exciting whitewater, striking scenery, and excellent native westslope cutthroat trout fishing. Thanks to work by the Montana Pilots Association, there are established camping facilities at the east end of the runway, including pit toilets, potable water, picnic tables, and fire pits with grates. A few worthwhile day hikes leave from the meadow as well, including a trail along the river that climbs to bluff-top views after a couple of miles.

Notes & Warnings
This is considered a serious backcountry strip, not a beginner destination. The grass runway runs roughly 2,600 to 3,200 feet (sources vary slightly) at about 4,750 feet elevation, oriented northeast-southwest with a moderate gradient and trees close on the approaches. Pilots need solid mountain-flying skills, tailwheel experience is strongly recommended, and aircraft should have at least 180 hp. Wildlife, including elk, deer, and moose, often grazes on the strip, so pilots typically fly a pass overhead before landing to clear the field. There are no services on-site, so fuel, tools, and supplies must be brought in. Because of the remoteness, self-reliance is essential: a satellite messenger or personal locator beacon is considered mandatory since there's no cell coverage, and emergency response can take days rather than hours. The strip is generally open June through September, with surface conditions firmest in late summer and softer or muddier after spring runoff. A fatal crash involving Forest Service personnel occurred nearby in 2004, underscoring the seriousness of the terrain.

History
The airstrip was built in 1933, and its original 1900s-era Adams Leaning Wheel Grader was likely used in its construction. When the Great Bear Wilderness was designated in 1978, Schafer Meadows was grandfathered in as an exception to typical wilderness restrictions, making it the last remaining active airstrip inside designated wilderness anywhere in Montana. Maintenance historically relied on mule-drawn grading equipment, a practice that lapsed for decades as Forest Service budgets and institutional knowledge declined. In 2020, a collaborative effort involving the Forest Service, the Montana Pilots Association, and the Recreational Aviation Foundation revived this tradition, restoring the historic graders and bringing in a new pair of mules to resume traditional upkeep of the strip, preserving both its function and its unique piece of Montana aviation history.