Lower Loon – ID

IF
This is a very short and difficult 1200' long airstrip with no go-around.

I did not fly my plane in there, but rode in with friend from Johnson Creek who had the right equipment and experience. Unless you are a very experienced back-country pilot with a short field aircraft, don’t try it. Both the approach and take-off are tight and in a deep canyon. Certain times of the day, the sun can be blinding in the canyon making it difficult to see canyon walls, terrain and other aircraft. Density altitude can also be a problem. So although you may be able to land, you may not be able to take off, so be prepared to camp if needed.

The good news is that IF you can get there, the little restaurant offers a wonderful breakfast.  It may take a while to get it, but it is well worth the wait when it arrives. They make everything fresh including the yummy muffins. And as a remote hot spring connoisseur, the hot spring there is one of my new favorites. Once landed, you walk south up the runway toward the cabins. Before you reach them, take a right turn to cross the bridge, followed by a left at the end of the bridge onto the well-marked trail which runs along the stream up to the hot spring. Once there, you can relax in the crystal clear warm water enjoying the beauty of mother-nature. Fishing is also allowed with the proper license; however, it is exclusively catch and release.