I am based in Vancouver, Washington and am looking for some fun grass strips that I can go to. I fly a 145 HP C-172.

Two strips near me that have caught my eye are: Mount St Helens Aero Ranch (WN10) and Walter Sutton's Private Strip (WA79). Both are listed as private, so I am hesitant to just drop in. Does anyone have any experience with these strips, or any other comparable ones in the area?

For general information, I have tried calling the listed phone numbers with no luck, including updating the area code. I have hit all the grass public use airports in Clark County, including Cedars North, Goheen and Daybreak (private). I'm trying to find other strips to cycle through, so I'm not over using or abusing the ones I already fly to.

PS, does anyone have any experience with Green Mountain (WA67)?

If you cannot raise the owners by telephone listed in Airnav, you can always try snail mail. The USPS is pretty reliable and will return your letter if the address is incorrect giving you some feedback.

Just speaking for myself, landing on a private strip without permission is just plain rude. Sort of like someone walking into your front yard and wandering around. Maybe the person has good intentions but should have knocked on the door first.

TomD wrote:….Just speaking for myself, landing on a private strip without permission is just plain rude. Sort of like someone walking into your front yard and wandering around. Maybe the person has good intentions but should have knocked on the door first.

I agree.

I've been invited to Keyway by a friend of the owner for a BBQ (didn't end up going), so the owner has visitors on occasion. It is a one way strip built into a hillside with an abrupt end, so late go arounds are questionable. Not an airport for floating the first 1000'.

Vernonia is public use in Oregon. It's grass, surrounded by mildly rising terrain with a low altitude turning approach through a gap in the trees from the East, which is the only direction I've ever landed because the wind is almost always coming from the Coast. Enough nonstandard elements to be interesting, but long and open enough to allow a mistake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqfk23Et6FQ

I absolutely agree that landing on private strips without permission is trespassing, and unacceptable.

Closed for the year But Tieton State is awesome

Thank you for the responses and suggestions. I may try sending some letters just for the heck of it. (I won't hold my breath for a response).

I have been into Vernonia quite a few times and it is a fun one. Tieton is another good one that I've been into.

I agree that landing uninvited is trespassing. I wasn't suggesting landing there "cold". But if someone knew that there was an "open door policy", or if someone here knew the owners or a way to contact them, I would be interested.

As for paved airstrips that are fun with just a little more challenge than your normal 3000+ foot airport, I like Woodland (W27) and Strom (39P).

I’m from Vancouver and have been to all the strips mentioned in the thread (I grew up on W56 and my parents still live there). One private grass strip not mentioned is Brush Prairie or “Koski’s” (5WA9). They’re friendly and let people land there. My uncle and another family friend both have houses off the end of the runway too. I used to go in there in the J-3s and C-150s I learned to fly in as well as hundreds of times in my dad’s planes and my own. Daybreak is the best strip out there by far but the Swanson’s don’t want you doing repeated landings there or any flybys to piss off the neighbors. Cougar Mountain was fun to go into but I’ve only been there once to look at a plane that was for sale. From what I remember about Walter Sutton’s strip is they don’t really want visitors. It wouldn’t hurt to write a letter or make a call to each owner though asking for permission. There used to be a member here with a 60 or 61 172 at Green Mountain. There’s not much there to want to go in there more than once especially with all the other grass strips in the area.

jcadwell wrote:I've been invited to Keyway by a friend of the owner for a BBQ (didn't end up going), so the owner has visitors on occasion. It is a one way strip built into a hillside with an abrupt end, so late go arounds are questionable. Not an airport for floating the first 1000'.

Vernonia is public use in Oregon. It's grass, surrounded by mildly rising terrain with a low altitude turning approach through a gap in the trees from the East, which is the only direction I've ever landed because the wind is almost always coming from the Coast. Enough nonstandard elements to be interesting, but long and open enough to allow a mistake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqfk23Et6FQ

I absolutely agree that landing on private strips without permission is trespassing, and unacceptable.

19WA is an awesome place to fly with a great approach. Jay the owner is incredibly friendly and built a pilot's lounge and party house on the field. Call first just to let him know you are flying in but he wouldn't care if you flew in unannounced either. In general - always wise to call. I have heard the Fall City Airport up in WA has an owner who will tie a metal chain around your prop if you land without permission - maybe urban legend? Keyway has a big fly in every year during the weekend of WAAAM in September - you are more than welcome to attend. We have had about 20 planes on the ground the last couple of years. Very good group of guys who can also introduce to a number of strips in the area that are not marked on any charts. We are really fortunate to live in this area. There are too many private strips both marked and unmarked to name where one can fly with local knowledge.


Keyway - September 2019



Nearby unmarked strip

Looks really nice.

Anyone use Cascade Locks opposite there? I keep meaning to stop in but am always on a mission to either get east or west and fly by.

Thank you RobW56 and Dog is my Copilot. I'll have to give Brush Prairie and Keyway a call.

Daedaluscan, I've been into Cascade Locks (CZK) a few times. It's a great place to sit out the weather if you're pushing through the gorge VFR and a front comes through. It's also walking distance to downtown Cascade Locks (approximately a mile each way). They have places for tiedowns marked with white tires (I believe with chains) and an outhouse.

A few cautions, the field is bowed up in the middle with limited visibility from each end. Additionally, being the gorge, the winds can pick up and I imagine, it could be "sporting" to land with gusty/windy conditions.

Otherwise, Cascade locks is a nice little airport.

Sandy River, O3S, just across the river from Vancouver is a public grass strip that has tall trees to contend with on the approaches.

There is also Curtis, which is West of Chehalis.

It's grass and one way. It's private so I only drop in for the yearly BBQ.

This was a couple of years ago, when I just started putting cameras on the plane

Funny to watch you roll out past my grandpa’s house!