Little Goose State, WA

Location Overview
Little Goose Lock and Dam State Airport sits along the Snake River roughly ten miles northeast of Starbuck, Washington, one of three airports leased from the Army Corps of Engineers along the Snake River. The field lies deep inside the canyon below the south rim, offering a striking desert-canyon setting in Eastern Washington. It sits at a surveyed elevation of 681 feet MSL, with a single runway, 07/25.

Camping & Recreation
Just a short walk northeast of the airfield there is a drive-in campground and recreation area, with facilities available, making it a popular spot to meet up with non-flying friends for a weekend campout. Camping is about a quarter mile from parking, with two picnic spots, but no fire rings and no outhouse (both pending negotiations with the property owners), and no water on site; the restroom is also a quarter mile away. Visitors can enjoy fishing and boating on the Snake River, and take educational tours of the nearby dam — a favorite outing for young aspiring aviators.

Notes & Warnings
The runway is a 3,400-foot gravel surface, adequate for most aircraft. The airport is open year-round for aviation use only, but pilots should not land when there's snow on the runway, since no winter snow removal is performed, and the surface can be softer than normal when wet. Pilots should check NOTAMs and can call the airport manager for further details at 360-618-2477. Be aware of pedestrians, vehicles, and animals on and in the vicinity of the runway. CTAF is 122.9.

History
Little Goose Airport traces its origins to the construction era of the Little Goose Lock and Dam itself, one of four dams built on the lower Snake River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-20th century. The airstrip was originally built to support the construction of the dam, providing access for workers and materials to this isolated stretch of canyon. Once the dam was completed, the airport transitioned from a construction-support facility into recreational use, and it has since become a very popular recreational airport, valued today for its scenic isolation, fly-in camping culture, and proximity to the dam it's named after — a small but enduring piece of Eastern Washington's river-development history repurposed for general aviation.