Here is one of those Nevada user friendly airstrips.
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Murietta pix are great. I have always landed on the road. The airstrip is rough. I took a fellow, who lives there, for a ride. He was about 80 and had never flown in an airplane.

Another "Closed" airstrip. Watch for rocks on the runway!!!

If Monache Meadows is not in wilderness, what is keeping us from forming a work party and restoring it and the camping area? Will there be an issue with the forest service or fish and game?

I’ve flown in this area for 30 plus years & know all of these strips. Sacatar & Monache are both privately owned & not Forest Service. Sacatar now has a fence going across the middle of it. These strips due rival the ID backcountry but unfortunately most are now in the Golden Trout Wilderness Area. Opening Forest Service & BLM strips may be different story. Either way would love to see them all reopened!

Once more... Monache meadows and Golden Trout Wilderness have nothing to do with each other. Tempelton and Tunnel are in the Wilderness area. They are both closed and I suspect they will remain closed forever.
The new locked gate at the Monache airstrip shown in the pictures has a Cal. Fish and Game sign on it. There is a small unlocked gate there for foot traffic. The opening in their fence that is used to get to the cabins has a Fish and Game sign on it that says "don't drive off the road". Some years ago the X was painted at the windsock. No X's on the runway. The map on my phone calls the airstrip Fish and Game road. The person I talked with a couple of years ago said that fenced area belongs to Ca. Fish and Game.

Actually the truth is this airstrip is going to disappear and the Monache Meadows will only be used by cows, hikers, 4X4 and motorcycle traffic. Aircraft are almost a thing of the past.

The "OLD" Forest Service strip at Monache Meadows is on Forest Service land. It could be a very good airstrip but... Ask the Forest Service if they would mind if you cleared off the brush. Good luck with that.

Some years ago I worked with the Forest Service on the airstrip at Coyote Flats. I went to a couple of meetings with them and I was the only one there. They were actually very cooperative considering there was zero interest in keeping that airstrip open. Coyote Flats needs some clearing but no one uses it anyway so why bother. Actually it still looks like this just no asphalt and a fence.

Desert Rat wrote:Here is one of those Nevada user friendly airstrips.
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Cotton Tail eh? Must be a bunny rabbit farm. One sort of fly fishing I suppose.

I would like to start a list of names and contact info for anyone interested in the restoration of these airstrips; there is a group of us that would like to peruse the reopening of these airstrips, right now I’m just trying to find interested parties. Rick the new manager at Kernville airport is also on board and supportive along with the RAF, local ranchers and private pilots alike. Anyone interested in making this happen can e-mail Rick the Kernville airport manager at [email protected] or call Rick at 760-376-2870. If He’s not at the airport please leave a message and He will get back to you. He will start a list of names in support of this effort to get these strips opened again. The longest journey always begins with a first step.

Desert Rat---I apologize as my statement was to general & know Monache is not in the Golden Trout Wilderness. I was trying to point out that all the strips in the area (Tunnel, Monache, etc.) are on 3 types of land (private, forest, wilderness). I agree that any strip located in the Golden Trout Wilderness will probably never be reopened. I think we may be talking about the same thing in regards to Monache. To my knowledge there are 2 strips in Monache Meadows: The Forest Service one to the West that is just about disappeared & the private one to the East near the cabins. The older picture you posted of Monache appears to be the private strip. My Forest Service OHV map does not have this strip but does show private land where it should be. I’ve had other experiences that do not want to post on public forum that leads me to believe it’s private also. Just wanted to clarify the information I was trying to pass along. The important thing here is we all seem to share the same goal of promoting backcountry flying in the area.

172heavy wrote:If Monache Meadows is not in wilderness, what is keeping us from forming a work party and restoring it and the camping area? Will there be an issue with the forest service or fish and game?

Funny guy. You have to ask the king to go on his land. Not really. I agree 172. Just do it. The best time is M-F after 3PM. The gov boys are long gone by then.

We are planning to do this up front and legal, local resident pilots with the help of the RAF have begun the process we need volunteers to wright letters and when asked work parties to help repair the runways, when we can legally do so, the chicken strip will likely be the first. If we stand together and show that there is more than one or two interested parties we have a chance to at least reopen (reclaim) at least Monache Meadows. As a resident of Southern California it would greatly please me to be able to share our beautiful high Serra’s with the rest of you, as the people of Idaho and other states share there strips with us. Please send your contact information to Rick.

OregonMaule wrote:

172heavy wrote:If Monache Meadows is not in wilderness, what is keeping us from forming a work party and restoring it and the camping area? Will there be an issue with the forest service or fish and game?

Funny guy. You have to ask the king to go on his land. Not really. I agree 172. Just do it. The best time is M-F after 3PM. The gov boys are long gone by then.

I was there on Labor Day and there were many many vehicles in the area. The people that have the cabins were there and lots of rifle and handgun shooting. Last Monday no one. I stayed about four hours and walked up to Olancha Pass and around the meadows there and saw no hikers. No Ranger vehicles over at their place. Like I said before I have talked to Ca. Fish and Game people there. I have done a hike up past Brown Meadow to Tempelton and west to the river and back to Monache. That is really a nice area. It's not that far to go up to Horseshoe and walk down to Tunnel and tempelton to see what they look like on the ground. If you want to see Monache you can drive there.

Here is a C-310 owned by Gallo Winery at Monache Meadows. I think they are at the tie downs over by the river. About 100' from my where my picture was taken.

Aircoupe at Monache. 7900'.

Desert Rat wrote:Aircoupe at Monache. 7900'.

Maybe it had JATO...

I know this thread hasn't been used in quite a while.
I just got back from my first camping trip at Monache Meadows. My group drove around the various roads and I had everyone on the lookout for an airstrip or traces of one. No one, not even me, could see any signs of a strip.
I have a great book: "Adventures with a Desert Bush Pilot" by Sylvia Winslow. It is out of print and a little hard to acquire. If anyone here gets a copy you will soon learn about the wonderful past of Monache. Very sad that the area is "closed" to pilots. It really could be developed into an aviation destination.

We/ the RAF (one in the same) are currently in negations with the USFS concerning Monache Meadows air strip, the squeaky wheel does get the grease, if you want to help send a letter, (a polite one) to the Inyo National Forest Supervisor, regarding your support of aircraft use in the national forest and the use of Monache Meadows air strip. Constant pressure is the key to persuade them. The RAF has given us unity and the power to make a change instead of one angry pilot speaking out, I urge you to mention the RAF in your letter. Sincerely 172Heavy

Just curious if there’s been any movement re: Monache Meadows?

No movement at all. The USFS is stalling and they keep changing District Rangers on us, three in the last two years. Every time they change the DR we have to start all over again. The RAF is gearing up for another run at them this year. Wish us luck.


Rick Lach
RAF state liaison

No movement at all. The USFS is stalling and they keep changing District Rangers on us, three in the last two years. Every time they change the DR we have to start all over again. The RAF is gearing up for another run at them this year. Wish us luck.


Rick Lach
RAF state liaison

Thanks Rick, really appreciate all you and the RAF do, hopefully 2019 will be the banner year for the RAF up here.

I'm flying into Lone Pine in August for some backpacking in either the John Muir Wilderness or Golden Trout Wilderness area. I have three nights to spend. Monache Meadows (not feasible) and Carvers Cut (need an invite) are always on my mind, but does anyone have any recommendations on hiking in the area for a few days? Didn't win the Mt Whitney lottery for 2019...