FEATURED AIRSTRIP: GRAVELLY VALLEY

Each month we highlight an airstrip with hopes that you will get out and enjoy these special places.

We invite you to explore California’s Gravelly Valley airstrip, 1Q5, in the Mendocino National Forest, just an hour by C182 from the San Francisco Bay Area. RAF’s Northern California volunteers have organized cooperative work parties with the US Forest Service in the past to install a new windsock, clear brush, smooth the runway surface, and mark runway borders. 

The 3500-ft gravel runway lies at 1,900 foot elevation, and is considered a gem due to the area’s physical beauty, and a large Tule elk herd that frequently passes through.

Visitors can enjoy primitive camping at the north end, and a US Forest Service campground with picnic tables, restrooms and fire pits on the south end. There are several hikes spanning from the field. The shore of Pillsbury Lake is a few steps away, and may yield a catch, especially likely if you bring your inflatable and enjoy trolling offshore.

Overnighters enjoy relaxing beneath dark skies so easily accessible from the energetic West Coast. Occasionally sport shooters will pierce the silence at the informal rifle range at the north end, so pilots often overfly the runway to indicate they intend to land. 

For more history and features at Gravelly Valley, please see the Airfield Guide.

By Carmine Mowbray
Submitted October 30, 2025