Description

Location Overview
Elk River Airport sits at roughly 2,827 feet elevation right on the edge of the small town of Elk River, in north-central Idaho's Clearwater County. The 3,000-foot turf runway (17/35) occupies about 18 acres and is hemmed in by tall stands of white pine and cedar, with Elk Butte and Shattuck's Butte rising nearby. The setting is classic Idaho backcountry: forested, hilly, and remote, though the town itself is within easy walking distance of the strip.

Camping & Recreation
The airstrip itself has only basic facilities, but the town of Elk River, just steps away, offers food, lodging, general supplies, and local huckleberry treats. About a mile downstream, Elk Creek Reservoir has established campgrounds and is known for excellent fishing. The broader area is also a gateway to outdoor attractions such as Elk Creek Falls, with its scenic upper, middle, and lower cascades, and the Giant Cedar Grove, home to an ancient, massive old-growth cedar.

Notes & Warnings
Pilots should treat this as a genuine backcountry strip: it's a privately-owned field open to the public, with turf surface and no winter maintenance, meaning it can be unusable or hazardous in snow season. Numerous obstructions exist in town on the approach to Runway 35, and the field is closely surrounded by tall trees, leaving very few options for an emergency landing if something goes wrong on departure or arrival. Wildlife on the runway (deer have been reported grazing on it) is a real hazard, and pilots should expect a tight, tree-lined approach that rewards caution even in calm wind conditions.

History
Elk River began life in 1897 as a homestead claimed by Willard Trumbull, and the settlement itself was first known as Trumbull. In 1909 the Potlatch Lumber Company purchased the homestead and, the following year, built the country's first electric sawmill there, spurring rapid growth; the town was renamed Elk River around this time and a rail spur was extended in from Bovill. By 1912 it was a thriving company town with dozens of businesses, a school, waterworks, and even a hospital housed in the old Trumbull cabin. The timber economy soured after a larger mill was built in Lewiston in 1927, and Elk River's own sawmill and planing mill shut down in the early 1930s. The town found new purpose in aviation a decade later: an airfield was approved by state and federal agencies in 1944 and was operational by 1945, giving this once-isolated logging community a durable link to the outside world that persists today as the small public-use airstrip pilots visit for its scenery, fishing, and small-town charm.