The nonprofit Idaho Aviation Foundation (IAF) protects and preserves backcountry, recreational, and small community airstrips. Basically, we exist so aviation destinations that often fly under the radar keep existing, too. This dedication is exemplified in Big Creek—a remote, rare gem in Idaho’s rich aviation heritage.
Let’s get some perspective on Idaho. The backcountry is our backyard, especially when you take a bird’s-eye view. Our out-of-the-way airstrips often lead to shelter, camping, showers, and a means of entry to untrammeled wilderness and unbelievable recreational possibility. It’d be a huge loss to many people—pilots and non-pilots alike—to see them disappear or become diminished. That’s why the IAF promotes and supports independent aviation in Idaho by striving to make more airstrips accessible to the general public—and to create amenities that enhance the joy-making possibilities of existing aviation destinations.
Many said it’d never fly. Rebuilding a burnt-down landmark in the remote backcountry at an elevation of 5,743 feet—an area snow-free only 5 months out of the year? Improbable. But we love tough logistics. Launched in 2013 in partnership with the USFS-Payette National Forest, the project to rebuild historic Big Creek Lodge as a nonprofit public resource took years of fund-raising, planning, and painstaking follow-through. Open to pilots and the general public alike, the project stands as the IAF’s premier enhancement to Idaho’s backcountry aviation facilities. Check out the time lapse of the new lodge being built »
The IAF and the IAA also maintain webcams at airstrips statewide. See all the wonders of Idaho in real time.
Check out more from IAF »