Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Southwestern Colorado
© 2002, © 2009 by Paul Freeman. Revised 12/29/09.
Baca Grande Airfield (revised 9/22/06) - Hanson Airfield / Breckenridge STOLport (revised 1/7/09)
Monte Vista Municipal Airport / Movie Manor Airport (revised 12/29/09) - Star Nelson Airport / Sky Island Ranch Airport (revised 9/9/06)
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Monte Vista Municipal Airport / Movie Manor Airport, Monte Vista, CO
37.58 North / 106.21 West (Southwest of Denver, CO)
Monte Vista Airport, as depicted on the 1936 Trinidad Sectional Aeronautical Chart.
Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.
The date of establishment of this very early airfield has not been determined.
The earliest reference which has been located of the Monte Vista Airport
was its listing in the 1931 Department of Commerce Airfield Directory (courtesy of David Brooks via Chris Kennedy).
It described Monte Vista as a municipal airport, located 2.5 miles west of the town.
It was said to consist of a 600 acre gravel square, measuring a mile on each side,
within which were 3 runways, with the longest being a 5,500' northeast/southwest strip.
The February 1944 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Monte Vista Airport as an auxiliary airfield.
The February 1954 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Monte Vista Airport as having a 5,800' unpaved runway.
According to Richard Cutter, “Monarch Airlines operated DC-3s out of here.”
The original Monte Vista Airport was replaced by another field “8 miles west” in the 1950s,
and the original airport was “sold to private owners.
Paul Kelloff has owned the property since 1953 & operated the airport since that time.
The main hangar was moved to the new airport's location.”
The Monte Vista Airport was evidently closed at some point between 1954-62,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the December 1962 Trinidad Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
At some point between 1962-68, it was evidently reopened as Movie Manor Airport,
as that is how it was depicted on the February 1968 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
with a 5,000' unpaved runway.
The 1964 USGS topo map depicted the “Movie Manor Landing Area” as having 2 unpaved runways,
with the northeastern end of one runway truncated by a drive-in movie theater.
It is unclear whether any of the small buildings nearby were related to the airfield.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Movie Manor Airport
was on the February 1977 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Movie Manor as a public-use airport having a 5,000' unpaved runway.
The 1979 USGS topo map depicted the “Movie Manor Airport” as having 2 unpaved runways.
The 1998 USGS aerial photo appeared to show a 3rd runway (oriented east/west) which had been added at some point between 1979-98.
There were no signs of aircraft or other recent aviation usage.
According to Richard Cutter, private owners “operated it until about 1999.”
A June 17, 2005 aerial view looking west at the site of the Monte Vista Airport, showing the remains of the 3 runways.
It is not apparent whether any of the adjacent buildings date from the site's days as an airport.
Richard Cutter reported in 2009, “There is now a drive-in movie & motel (Best Western Movie Manor).
Runways are overgrown with brush & not usable but very visible from the air. All pavement is gone.”
The Monte Vista Airport is located southwest of the intersection of Route 160 & County Road 25.
Thanks to Richard Cutter for pointing out this airfield.
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Baca Grande Airfield, Crestone, CO
37.96 North / 105.78 West (Southwest of Denver, CO)
Baca Grande Airfield, as depicted on the July 1973 CG-19 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.
This private airfield was evidently established at some point between 1968-73,
as it was not yet depicted on the 1968 Denver Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the Baca Grande Airfield which has been located
was on the July 1973 CG-19 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Baca Grande as a private airfield having a 7,000' runway.
The 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy) listed Baca Grande as a private airfield,
and indicated that the Baca Grande Inn (1 mile away) offered lodging.
The Inn was presumably the reason for the airfield's construction.
The February 1977 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Baca Grande as a private airfield with a single 7,000' paved northeast/southwest runway.
Baca Grande was still listed as an active airfield in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
The 1982 USGS topo map depicted the single runway, labeled merely as “Landing Strip”.
Baca Grande Airfield was evidently abandoned (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1982-99,
as it was depicted as an abandoned airfield on the 1999 CO Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Duke Sumonia).
The 1999 USGS aerial photo showed that the single paved runway at Baca Grande remained in fine shape.
A paved parking pad was located at the southwest end,
but there did not appear to be any buildings (or remains of buildings) at the site.
A 2004 aerial view by Andy Young looking southwest along the abandoned runway at Baca Grande.
A 2004 aerial view by Andy Young of the pavement of the abandoned runway at Baca Grande.
The Baca Grande Airfield is located on the east side of Route 66T, 3 miles southwest of Crestone.
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Hanson Airfield / Breckenridge STOLport, Breckenridge, CO
39.51 North / 106.05 West (West-Southwest of Denver, CO)
What was originally known as "Hanson" Airfield,
as depicted on the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton).
This short takeoff & landing airport was apparently established at some point between 1959-63,
as it was not yet depicted on the May 1959 Denver Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of an airfield at this location which has been located
was on the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton).
It depicted it under its original name of "Hanson",
and it was described as having a 4,000' unpaved runway.
The 1970 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Vince Granato)
depicted "Hanson" as a private airfield with a 4,000' unpaved runway.
Notice also that the Dillon Reservoir (north of the field) had been created -
it was not depicted on the 1963 chart.
Previous Breckenridge resident Douglas Barr reported that "the Breckenridge Airport was in operation in 1971.
There was a runway and a fuel tank (on stilts)."
The August 1977 CG-19 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted "Breckenridge" as a private airfield with a 4,200' unpaved runway.
It was listed as "Summit County (Breckenridge STOLport)"
in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury).
It was described as having a single 5,200' dirt & gravel Runway 16/34,
and it included the remark, "Caution: Private. Closed to public."
Even though the runway at Breckenridge was 5,200' long,
it was still considered a "short takeoff & landing" facility,
due to its extremely high elevation: 9,401 feet above sea level!
It must have ranked among the highest airports in the US.
The 1987 USGS topo map still depicted the Breckenridge Airport as having a single north/south runway.
It was still depicted as "Breckenridge (Pvt)" on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart,
by which point the runway had been lengthened to 6,100'.
As it existed in the 2001 USGS aerial photo,
the airfield consisted of a single 4,600' runway.
It is not known if any of the surrounding buildings were related to the airfield.
The Breckenridge STOLport was evidently closed at some point between 1998-2002,
as it was no longer listed in FAA records as an active airfield as of 2002,
and it is no longer depicted at all (not even as an abandoned airfield) on 2002 aeronautical charts.
Brekenridge STOLport is located in between Route 9 & Airport Road, south of Coyne Valley Road.
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Star Nelson Airport / Sky Island Ranch Airport (3CO0), Delta, CO
38.74 North / 108 West (West-Southwest of Denver, CO)
Star Nelson Airport, as depicted on the 1982 USGS topo map.
Photo of the airport while in use has not been located.
This airport was located on top of a small mesa,
three miles east of the town of Delta, CO.
The date of construction of this field is unknown.
The earliest reference to the field which has been located
was on the Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Delta as a municipal airport located 3.5 miles east of the town,
with three "sandy loam" runways (with the longest being the 3,600' east/west strip).
The 1934 Department of Commerce Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy)
described Delta airport as having three sandy loam runways oriented in a "V",
with the longest being a 3,600' east/west strip.
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described Delta Airport as having three "sandy loam" runways,
with the longest being a 3,600' east/west strip.
A hangar was described as having "Delta Airport" painted on the roof.
Delta Airport was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
as having a 3,800' runway.
Star Nelson was depicted on the 1949 Denver Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy)
as having a 5,600' unpaved runway.
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described "Starr Nelson" Airport as having three gravel runways:
5,900' Runway 4/22, 3,700' Runway 9/27, and 3,200' Runway 18/36.
The operator was listed as G.H. Carmichael.
Star Nelson Airport was apparently replaced at some point between 1962-67 by Blake Field, 5 miles northwest.
Star Nelson was no longer depicted on the December 1967 Denver Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
"Star Nelson Airport" was still depicted on the 1982 USGS topo map,
even though it had apparently been closed for about two decades by that point.
In the 1993 USGS aerial photo, the airport consisted of three runways (the longest was 3,000'),
as well as one small hangar & a few smaller structures at the northeast portion.
In August of 1994 this abandoned airport was evidently reopened, after going unused for at least 27 years,
as that is when the FAA Airport/Facility Directory listed as the activation date for the “Sky Island Ranch Airport”,
a private field at this location.
As of 2005, the field was said to be owned by Andrew Moffat,
and to have 3 single-engine aircraft based on the field.
Sky Island Ranch Airport is located along G Road, three miles east of Delta.
Thanks to Lonnie Woodard for pointing out this field.
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