UTAH’S RUSTLER CANYON OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED

RAF Utah Liaison and Utah Back Country Pilots (UBCP) board member Wendy Lessig has announced that Rustler Canyon airstrip near Bears Ears National Monument is the newest backcountry airstrip to be added to the aeronautical chart, and will appear as 09UT on the Denver Sectional and ForeFlight in June. The RAF assisted UBCP in the FAA-identifier process. 

“Utah Back Country Pilots recognized that this airstrip in Lockhart Basin needed to be preserved, and completed a lease with the state of Utah to ensure it was officially recognized,” Lessig said. “It is of the utmost importance that pilots be respectful when flying in this stunning environment, close to Canyonlands National Park,” she added.

The runway was recently graded and Lessig reports that it is in excellent condition. The airstrip is open for non-commercial recreational use, and offers hiking and primitive, dry camping. There are no amenities at the airstrip other than a windsock. “It is just you, your plane, the red rock mesas and canyons in all quadrants, and the universe of stars overhead,” Lessig said. See the UBCP website for more information on Rustler Canyon.

Submitted on May 23, 2025.