Talkeetna Village Airstrip

This grass/gravel airstrip was built in 1938.  Numerous airstrips in Alaska were built at that time as air travel became easier and a more popular way of transportation around the territory. However, in 1939, construction started on the Talkeetna Airfield (now the State Talkeetna Airport) and the small airstrip took a back seat. In the beginning, it was used by pilots like Christian ‘Chris’ Haakonson, “the flying Dane”.   It became the strip that pilot Don Sheldon flew climbers to and from Denali and the Alaska Range as well as taking care of miners and their remote camps.  Cliff Hudson would also use this airstrip for the same purpose.

By the late 70s, pilots were using the Talkeetna Airport for flights and the airstrip would become a popular place for local pilots with small aircraft. In 2002, the airstrip was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic airfield. Today, it is managed by the Talkeetna Airman’s Association.