Hiking Destinations?

[Fly2Scuba]

What are the best hiking destination airports in the US? Are there some good airports like in Montana or so where you can just walk off the airplane, and hike out of the terminal into nature without renting a car? How about world also? Carribean? Thanks in advance.

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

I can't think of any real good ones in the US. Most you will probably have to hitchhike a little way to get anywhere. Durango, CO is an easy one to hitch away from, and you could get into the Chicago Basin real easily. Anything in Summit, Pitkin or Eagle counties, CO are pretty safe bets. I've never done it, but the hike from Jackson Hole to the base of Grand Teton looks easy enough. Decent choices in SE Alaska too (Juneau, Skagway especially).

Internationally, Ushuaia, Argentina has easy access to the park at Tierra del Fuego. You can easily walk from the airport to the park (about 6 miles) or you can simply catch a minibus.

Pokhara, Nepal. 20 minute car ride and you're on the Annapurna Circuit. I'm pretty sure you can't jumpseat from Katmandhu to Pokhara though, if you could, you might as well hitch a ride to Jomsom, Lukla, or that strip just uphill of Chame. Yes, "that strip," real scientific I know.

I might also guess that Easter Island would be good, since the island isn't all that big, and Moai are seriously cool.

Hope this gives you some ideas my man. But summertime backpacking is for amatuers!

Dan

 

[TonyC]

Anchorage - - you can get to Alaska from there!









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[wxman]

Cataina Island

Santa Catalina Island... off the coast from Los Angeles. Fly in and hike all over right from the airport. Looks like good camping there, too. Personally, it is one of my favorite places to fly to when I'm in SoCal.


The runway is a little rough and sits on top of a mountain. I think that the landing fee is around $15-20. There is food and beverages available at the airport. Do a search for the island online.

 

[Flywrite]

Roanoke, VA (ROA) is a beautiful little town with decent hiking close by. The AT is about 9-10 miles away.

 

[CorpLearDriver]

Santa Catalina Island... off the coast from Los Angeles. Fly in and hike all over right from the airport. Looks like good camping there, too. Personally, it is one of my favorite places to fly to when I'm in SoCal.


The runway is a little rough and sits on top of a mountain. I think that the landing fee is around $15-20. There is food and beverages available at the airport. Do a search for the island online.

The last time I went hiking and camping on Catalina was some 20 years ago. There are four (maybe five) camping areas on the Island. You can hike from the airport four miles to Blackjack campground near the two tallest hills on the island. However, you may have to go into Avalon to pickup the permit. The way we did it was fly over, spend a few hours in Avalon, pick up the permit and then head back to the airport. Then hike from the airport. The permit is just for camping, not hiking.

 

[westwind]

There are some great places to do this in the Southwest. If you can take the plane into unimproved airstrips (not necessarily hardcore bush strips) you will have many more choices. Check out Southwest Aviator magazine's website for some cool ideas. Bryce Canyon Airport is a nice paved runway that will get you to some great hiking in the National Park. It shouldn't be too difficult to get to a bit of hiking from the Grand Canyon airport as well. Utah Backcountry pilot's website and the Idaho pilot's website can give you some good ideas too.

 

[hydroflyer]

If you want more flying destination ideas, take a look at Pilot Getaways magazine. You can find it at some bookstores like Barnes and Noble.
http://www.pilotgetaways.com/index.html

 

[414Flyer]

There are some trailheads within 1-2 miles of Angel Fire NM airport. You could just park the plane, put on a backpack and go.

 

[Yodafly]

barharbor maine is a great spot.

look up arcadia park,

coast line and good size mountain

get bored try the hig speed ferry boat from here to canada very fast at 70 mph

 

[CorpLearDriver]

There are some trailheads within 1-2 miles of Angel Fire NM airport. You could just park the plane, put on a backpack and go.

The same is true of Mammoth Yosemite Airport in the Eastern Sierra-Nevada. Actually many of the airports along Hwy 395 would be similar. Just be aware of the density altitude problems especially in the Summer Months. Also, some peaks in the Sierras require advanced permits. The National Forest office in Lone Pine would be the place to inquire about these. The same is true of any camping in the Grand Canyon.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

Being able to hike right out of the airport is a toughie. Here are some that I enjoyed that were right on the spot or required minimal driving (or hitchhiking for that matter).

Jackson, WY immediately comes to mind. The Tetons are right there, and Yellowston a stone's throw away.

Conway, NH is the gateway to the Presidential Range (Mt Washington, Tuckerman's Ravine). Eastern Slopes Regional (IZG) in Maine would get you pretty close.

Taos, NM is close to Wheeler Peak (over 13,000 ft high). Angel Fire would be another, although it's been mentioned before.

Hailey, ID (KSUN ,Friedman Memorial) is right near Sun Valley. The Sawtooth Mountain Range is stunning. Definitely good for hiking, but backpacking would be better.

Any of the front range airports of Colorado get you in the ballpark (Springs, Centennial, Jeffco). As said earlier, there are a few airports in Summit, Eagle, Pitkin counties, but Wx could leave you hanging. Durango and Telluride also have some good stuff nearby.

All the above are fantastic in terms of enjoying the outdoors.

Personally, I'd get some sort of transportation, or learn how to shmooze rides. It opens up a whole lot more of the these areas to explore.

 

[EX_CV580FR8Dawg]

I alkway liked Sedona and there is always bryce canyon

 

[Propsync]

Ironwood, MI. Porcupine Mountains are about twenty miles away. Lots of loop hiking to be done. I want to say without looking there's about 50 miles worth of trail. Maybe 70.

 

[hydroflyer]

You could try Copalis Beach Airport in WA. Pretty hard to get any closer to hiking than that. Just be sure to have a tide table!

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/airports/Copalis.htm

 

[414Flyer]

You could hike out of Taos airport, if you wanted to go hike and camp along the gorge. If you wanted to hike Wheeler, which I want to do, you would have to get a ride to a trailhead, nearest is going to be 30 miles probably.

Wheeler still has LOTS of snow on it now. Maybe it will be hikable in june, big maybe.

 

[gear_guy]

barharbor maine is a great spot.

look up arcadia park,

coast line and good size mountain

get bored try the hig speed ferry boat from here to canada very fast at 70 mph

I agree! I have traversed most of the trails thru Arcadia. They range from easy - if you slip you die. I hope I never get stuck there in the winter. Brrrr!

 

[EX_CV580FR8Dawg]

Ironwood is a good spot, the black river and the falls back there are really nice!

 

[TurboS7]

Bangor, ME Baxter State Park, rent a car and drive 1.0 hour north, wonderful place for hiking.

 

[crzepilot]

Roanoke

Roanoke has good hiking the Appalachian Trail is close by. Asheville, NC take a car about 30 min Sw absolutely beautiful. Lynchburg, VA you have to get a car but about 30 min NW to the Blueridge mountains via hwy 260. Grand Rapids, MN you can get to Lake Itasca State Park where the Mississippi River begins. I'm not sure though if Mesaba flies in there at all. Rapid Cits, SD -the black hills are right there

 

[Spinn555]

Grand Rapids, MN you can get to Lake Itasca State Park where the Mississippi River begins. I'm not sure though if Mesaba flies in there at all.

Bemidji is about 75 miles closer to Itasca than Grand Rapids. XJ no longer services Grand Rapids, also.

 

[BugSmasher999]

Cumberland Maryland has been the best I've seen so far. You walk down the hill from the airport hang a right at the interesection walk 1/8 mile and you're on the C&O Canal. Turn left on the towpath and walk 3-4 miles takes you into Cumberland, hang a right and you can go a full 183 miles all the way into Georgetown, Washington DC. I stopped into a local bike shop in Cumberland and they will even rent you a trail/mtn bike one way to DC. Look up C&O Canal and you can get some maps of the route.

later
Bugsmasher999

 

[DashTrash400]

Stehekin State Airport (6S9) is located just west of Lake Chelan in Washington's Cascade Range. It's just outside the southeast boundary of North Cascades National Park, and there are trails immediately adjacent that'll take you into the backcountry if that's your sort of thing. It's gorgeous country.

Be careful & proficient in mountain operations if you go. It's a 2600' turf strip surrounded by high terrain.

 

[414Flyer]

Well if someone wants to rent my house in Angel Fire for a couple of days for some hiking, let me know Weather is great right now there, but I am away for fire season unfortunately.

 

[GuppyPuppy]

I was thinking EWR or IAH.


Seriously...Juneau, AK. Take a jumpseat on a local commuter and get your butt to Haines, Skagway or Gustavus.

Out of Skagway there are numerous day hikes or you can hike the 33 mile Chilkoot trail (been done in one, most do it in three). Laughton Glacier hike is a good one (train will drop you off at trail head and pick you up in the afternoon.

Out of Haines there is Rapinski ridge trail.

Not quite sure out of Gustavus, but it is the dropping off point for Glacer Bay,

Good luck and have fun!

GP