Taylor Flat Airstrip (TF9), just a stone’s throw from the wild and scenic Green River as it carves through Utah canyons, is officially reopened after three decades, thanks to a cooperative effort between the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) and Utah Back Country Pilots (UBCP).
In 2023, representatives from both organizations initiated dialogue with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reopen the airstrip. Daggett County got involved, and RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig navigated the required National Environmental Policy Act process.
Lessig was instrumental in preparing a right of way (ROW) lease agreement application, coordinating between Daggett County, the BLM, and other stakeholders, and gathering information to assist the BLM throughout the required environmental assessment, according to RAF officials.
“Thanks to Wendy taking action as the RAF Liaison, and her professional persistence following through the lengthy public review process, Taylor Flat Airstrip will reopen as another unique backcountry destination,” RAF President Bill McGlynn said.
The RAF and UBCP teamed up May 9, 2026, to revitalize the airstrip, which had lain dormant for 30 years.
“The work party was a resounding success,” Lessig reports. ”We are grateful for the 25 volunteers who hand-picked rocks from the airstrip, and used them to mark the runway corners and threshold.”
RAF supporters Scott Conner, Kris Lodwick, and Brad Hoefer came from Colorado with skid steers and saved many hours of volunteer effort filling in ditches that had crisscrossed the airstrip. UBCP provided a new windsock pole for the new RAF windsock. RAF Ambassador and UBCP Board member John Clayton painted the runway corner/threshold rocks and the 16-foot Xs that alert pilots to stay off a sensitive environmental area.
The BLM had agreed to shorten the original 4,300-foot airstrip to 2,500 feet to avoid this area, creating a displaced threshold to the east of the runway.
“John had the privilege of being the first plane to land at Taylor Flat Airstrip the morning after the work party was completed,” Lessig added.
The effort is part of RAF’s Expanding the Map initiative focused on opening, improving, and restoring access to airstrips, helping connect aviators to more of the places they love to explore.
RAF has dedicated a new section of its website to highlight the initiative. You can also find more information about Taylor Flat and the RAF’s efforts to reopen the airstrip here.
Taylor Flat now appears in the RAF Airfield Guide, a resource where pilots find helpful airstrip information and safety briefings.
For more information: TheRAF.org
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