Popular Science recently compiled a list of the 18 strangest airports in the world. Included is an airport that has an 18-hole golf course in the middle of its two runways, one with an ice runway, and one in the Alps that features a large hill in the middle of the runway.
Making the list is one GA airport: Copalis State Airport (S16) in Grays Harbor County, Washington. Popular Science notes:
“One way to get to Washington’s Griffiths-Priday Ocean State Park is to land on this 4,500-foot-long strip of beach. The runway is located between the mouth of the Copalis River and a barrier of rocks, with orange reflective markers at both ends to help guide pilots to a safe landing. The Washington State Department of Transportation urges incoming pilots to do a fly-over before landing to make sure the runway is free of debris. The Department of Transportation also notes that pilots should aim for dark, wet sand, which is more stable to land on than light-colored, soft sand. As with other beach-based landing areas, Copalis State Airport is submerged every time the tide rolls in. Pilots considering spending some time on the beach should make sure to park their aircraft above the high tide mark in order to ensure that their planes aren’t taken out to sea.”
See the full list here.
