MAHONEY CREEK USFS, ID

Mahoney Creek Airstrip is a U.S. Forest Service backcountry airstrip tucked deep inside the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in central Idaho.

The strip sits on a bluff nearly 400 feet above the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, and its dirt surface is susceptible to damage from big game animals. There are no camping facilities on site. It is only a few minutes' flying time from Thomas Creek and Indian Creek airstrips, making it a natural waypoint in a cluster of wilderness strips along the Middle Fork corridor. Directly across the river sits Cougar Ranch Airstrip, which opened in 2018 and offers a more challenging, shorter approach for experienced pilots.

The strip is primarily used by hunters, anglers, and wilderness recreationists seeking access to one of the most remote corners of the lower 48 — a quintessential piece of Idaho's celebrated backcountry aviation culture: rugged, unserviced, and spectacular.