FEATURED AIRSTRIP: ST. IGNATIUS, MONTANA

Each month we highlight an airstrip with hopes that you will get out and enjoy these special places. This month, we’re featuring St. Ignatius, MT.

With Montana’s stunning Mission Mountain Range as a backdrop, St. Ignatius (52S) is a Montana flying destination with many amenities and recreational opportunities nearby.

Locals love and wholeheartedly support this airport and welcome visitors. The historic Bison Range, a wildlife conservation area and home to roughly 350 bison, is a few miles away, accessible off Highway 212. Nearby recreation includes the Mission Creek, the Mission reservoir, and two campgrounds. Stutzman’s Country Market is just over the airport fence. The Lake County Airport Board provides a courtesy car for local shopping and sightseeing. The Ninepipes Museum of Early America, just a few miles north on Highway 93, has a beautiful collection of artifacts, a regional wildlife display, and a gift shop. Across the parking lot is a motel, full service restaurant, and espresso shop. A little farther north up Highway 93 is the Miracle of America Museum, promising a walk through Memory Lane.

Funded in great part by an RAF grant, and a cash boost from the Montana Pilots Association, local contractors pitched in and helped build a new pavilion that is ready for use at St. Ignatius. The 16 x 24-ft structure features a central fire ring, and tie-downs near the pavilion accommodate underwing camping. Campers will find a pilot lobby, outhouse, and water hydrant nearby. The paved airport has self service fuel available anytime.

“This airport is great for people who prefer pavement but want to be near mountains to get the flavor and feel of the backcountry,” RAF Montana Liaison Newpower says. For those wishing to fly into the backcountry, St. Ignatius is a convenient staging point to explore Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness, and Idaho’s Frank Church and Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

For information on St. Ignatius, 52S, see the Airfield Guide.

Submitted April 29, 2025
By Carmine Mowbray