The new Fly Rocky Top airstrip network, developed by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), is now open to backcountry aviation enthusiasts.
Located in East Tennessee, Fly Rocky Top is a “basecamp and outpost” concept for regional aviation exploration, adding the Southeast to a growing collection of recreational airstrip networks across the country, including Fly Oz in Arkansas and others in the West and Southwest, according to RAF officials.
Fly Rocky Top is the most significant achievement to date of the RAF’s Expanding the Map initiative, a nationwide effort focused on opening, improving, and restoring access to backcountry airstrips, RAF officials added.
Each Fly Rocky Top airstrip has unique features, amenities, and recreational options that embody the mission and spirit of the RAF, according to officials.
Rockwood Municipal Airport (KRKW) in Tennessee anchors the network with its 2,400-foot manicured turf landing area, RAF officials noted.
The Fly Rocky Top network is unique in that the initial collection of airstrips — with more planned — is a combination of both public lands and privately owned property with the common desire to welcome the flying public.
Airstrips in the Fly Rocky Top network include Smuggler’s Landing, a grass landing area at KRKW (with tent camping and a welcoming pavilion planned), McGraw’s Backyard (5TN4), and Tellico Plains (85TN). An additional outpost, Sawbriar, will be ready in August 2026.
More airstrips are in the process of being added and will appear on the Fly Rocky Top webpage.
Plans continue to add amenities to each RAF Fly Rocky Top airstrip, including accessible flush toilets and timber-framed shelters where camping is available.
Other attractions include access to upland bird hunting, hiking, some of the nation’s best trout fishing, kayaking/canoeing on the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers, and a 44-mile water trail on Beaver Creek.
“Fly Rocky Top is not just a new airstrip network — it’s also a group of pilots who are passionate about aviation, stewardship, and the great outdoors,” said RAF Co-Founder and Chairman John McKenna. “Fly Rocky Top will connect Southeast pilots, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts alike with the shared mission to preserve access to the region’s wild beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities.”
For more information: TheRAF.org
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