Chicken Strip

Saline Valley Warm Springs Airfield, commonly known as the Chicken Strip, is a non-towered dirt airstrip not depicted on an FAA sectional chart. The airstrip provides general aviation fly-in access to the Saline Valley hot springs in Death Valley National Park. The closest airport to the airstrip is Lone Pine Airport, 20 miles (17 nmi; 32 km) to the southwest, and the closest airport with regular airline service is Fresno Yosemite International Airport, 107 miles (93 nmi; 172 km) to the west.[1]

For the food, see Chicken fingers.
Chicken Strip
Summary
Airport typePublic (uncharted)
Owner/OperatorNational Park Service
LocationDeath Valley National Park
Elevation AMSL1,360 ft / 415 m
Coordinates36°48′24″N 117°46′54″W
Map
Chicken Strip
Location of airport in California
Chicken Strip
Chicken Strip (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
~18/36 1,350 411 Dirt

Chicken Strip was built in the 1960s to provide quicker access to the nearby hot springs, sometimes called the warm springs, that are a short walking distance away. Without the airport the only other access to the Saline Valley hot springs is an arduous, 40 miles (64 km) dirt road that can take three to four hours to complete.[2]

History
  • On August 7, 2011 the National Park Service (NPS) closed Chicken Strip due to safety concerns.[3] The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) worked with the NPS to repair the strip. Volunteers from the RAF and BackcountryPilot.org worked to restore Chicken Strip to the satisfaction of the NPS. Chicken Strip reopened to the public on October 15, 2011.[4]
  • In July 2016 Chicken Strip closed because the airstrip had become too rough from storm damage to safely land on. With quick action from RAF volunteers, the airstrip reopened in September 2016.[5]
  • In 2018 the NPS issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to designate the Saline Valley Warm Springs Airfield as a location "available for the operation of aircraft" and to be charted on a sectional and be entered in to the FAA registrar.[6][7]
  • On August 19, 2019, the NPS issued an official authorization.[8]
Saline Valley Hot Springs

Facilities

Chicken Strip is at an elevation of 1,360 ft (410 m) above mean sea level. It has one, sightly up-sloping, dirt runway:[9]

  • Runway headings are approximately 18/36 measuring 1,350 x ~30 ft (411 x ~9 m).[10]

References
  1. "SkyVector: Flight Planning / Aeronautical Charts". skyvector.com. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
  2. "CHICKEN STRIP REOPENS". Recreational Aviation Foundation. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  3. "Fate of California's Chicken Strip airstrip open for input". www.aopa.org. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  4. "Featured Airstrip | Recreational Aviation Foundation". theraf.org. Archived from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  5. "Saline Valley's Backcountry Airstrip Temporarily Closed for Safety - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  6. "'Chicken Strip' To Be Legalized - AVweb flash Article". www.avweb.com. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  7. "Regulations.gov". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  8. Wines, Abby (19 August 2019). "Saline Valley's 'Chicken Strip' Airfield Authorized". National Park Service. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  9. "Death Valley and Saline Valley Hot Springs: The Chicken Strip". West Coast Flying Adventures. 2010-05-12. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  10. SHORTFIELD. "No ID 067 - Chicken Strip, CA". ShortField.com. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
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