Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Southeastern Utah
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 12/27/08.
(Original) Green River Airport (revised 12/27/08) - Halls Crossing Airport (revised 12/27/08)
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Halls Crossing Airport, Halls Crossing, UT
37.47 North / 110.7 West (Southeast of Salt Lake City, UT)
The Halls Crossing Airfield was depicted simply as “Landing Strip” on the 1953 USGS topo map.
The date of construction of this small general aviation airport has not been determined.
The earliest depiction of the Halls Crossing Airport which has been located was on the 1953 USGS topo map.
It depicted a single unpaved northwest/southeast runway on the south shore of the lake, labeled simply as “Landing Strip”.
According to Jonathan Westerling, “The airport was apparently installed by the Park Service
as a way to access the then newly-formed North Lake Powell.”
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Halls Crossing Airport
was on the December 1965 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted the field as having a 4,800' unpaved runway.
The published length of the Halls Crossing Airport runway had been shortened to 3,800'
on the December 1968 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Chris remarked, “I don't think anybody knew how long this strip was. Every reference has a different length.”
The 1977 AOPA Airports USA Directory (according to Jonathan Westerling)
described Halls Crossing as having a 3,400' runway.
According to minutes of the San Juan County Commission,
“A letter dated 2/26/87 from Senator Jake Garn [concerned] the construction of the new airport at Halls Crossing.
The letter states that he strongly supports the proposal by San Juan County to construct a safe new landing strip at Halls Crossing.
The existing dirt strip is not a good facility & should be upgraded at the earliest opportunity.”
An undated aerial view looking northwest & the airport layout of Halls Crossing Airport
from the 1989 Guide to Southwest Airports (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling).
The photo depicted the field as having a single dirt runway,
with 2 light aircraft parked on the northeast side.
The diagram depicted the field as having a single 3,865' dirt Runway 16/34,
with Runway 16 having a 2.9% upslope.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Halls Crossing Airport
was on the 1993 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling).
It depicted the field as having a 3,800' unpaved runway.
It also depicted a new paved-runway airfield (Cal Black) which had been constructed to the east.
The Halls Crossing Airport was closed at some point between 1993-95,
as it was no longer listed among active airfields in the 1995 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Jonathan Westerling).
A circa 2006 aerial view looking northwest shows the Halls Crossing runway remains mostly intact.
Jonathan Westerling noted, “The runway must have had a very dramatic (albeit unsafe) approach & departure
with the runway running right off the end of a red rock cliff overlooking the lake.”
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(Original) Green River Airport (U20), Green River, UT
38.99 North / 110.18 West (Southeast of Salt Lake City, UT)
The original Green River Airport was depicted as an auxiliary airfield
on the March 1954 Grand Junction Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airport while open has not been located.
The first airport for the town of Green River was evidently built at some point between 1949-54,
as it was not depicted on the September 1949 Great Salt Lake World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the March 1954 Grand Junction Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
which depicted it as an auxiliary airfield.
The 1954 USGS topo map depicted Green River as having a single east/west runway, labeled simply as “Landing Strip”.
The runway at Green River was apparently paved at some point between 1954-63,
as the 1963 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Green River as having a single 4,100' bituminous Runway 9/27.
The operator was listed as Green River Aviation Company, a Cessna dealer.
The original Green River Airport,
as depicted on the November 1965 Grand Junction Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1967 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Green River
as having a curving taxiway which led from the eastern end of the runway to a small ramp,
with several buildings (hangars?) along the northern side of the ramp.
The runway had also been redesignated as Runway 7/25.
The airfield configuration was depicted in the same manner
in the 1972 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The runway configuration remained unchanged
as described in the 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
and the operator remained listed as Green River Aviation.
By the time of the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury),
the operator had become Redtail Aviation Inc.
The February 4, 1982 FAA Inspection Report (courtesy of David Field)
depicted Green River as having a single 4,200' asphalt Runway 7/25,
with an apron & several hangars on the east side of the field.
The field was said to be owned by the City of Green River,
with the manager listed as Glen Baxter.
Green River was said to have a total of 7 single-engine aircraft based on the field,
which was listed as conducting an average of 558 takeoffs or landings per month.
According to David Field (referencing material in the FAA's Inspection Report), “The airport was abandoned April 11, 1984.”
It has been replaced by a new Green River Municipal Airport,
4 miles southwest of the town of Green River.
As seen in the 1997 USGS aerial photo, the runway remains at the site,
but in a somewhat deteriorated condition.
Several of the former airport buildings also appear to remain at the site,
at the eastern end of the runway.
A 2005 photo by Keith Wood, looking west along the remains of the abandoned Green River Runway,
“which has been trenched the long way down the middle, with sewer & fiber-optic cable laid.
The sewer has been there for quite a while, the fiber-optic cable is new & perhaps still being laid.
There is also a fenced area apparently used for impound.”
A 2005 photo by Keith Wood. “The yellow stripe... is the only remaining runway marking. No Xs or any other markings could be seen.”
Keith reported that an antenna tower used by the Sheriff's Department sits just off the east end of the abandoned runway.
A 2005 photo by Keith Wood of perhaps the world's largest watermelon ever to inhabit a hangar at an abandoned airfield.
A 2005 photo by Keith Wood of “the largest building, with the FBO and/or pilot lounge at the north end (with chimney).
“The airfield buildings were at the east end of the airport, arranged in a U with the open end to the south.
There were several hangars.
All seem to have been taken over for city storage.”
A 2005 photo by Keith Wood of “the oldest of the airport buildings,
on the north end of the originally with a door which slid upward on cables.
The outer 'pulleys' were spoked car wheels, the inner pulleys were steel wheels.”
A 2005 photo by Keith Wood of “the only remaining 'signage' whatsoever to indicate an airport.
It is on the long hangar, in a window of the FBO.”
Keith reported, “Only one runway light is still in place, several others have been crushed & dumped.
The wind circle was made of tires, which are still in place, with the lights (also crushed) between them.
I found no sign of any fueling facilities or transient parking.”
A 2006 aerial view looking southwest along the remains of the runway at Green River.
The site of the original Green River Airport is located in between the D & RG Western Railroad tracks & the Old Highway,
adjacent to the west side of the town of Green River.
Thanks to Chris Kennedy for pointing out this airfield.
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