Mt Logan Airstrip

The primary reason for the closure was military and economic obsolescence. The airstrip was built as an auxiliary field for the Northwest Staging Route during WWII. After the war, the need for numerous, closely-spaced emergency airfields diminished due to advancements in aircraft range and reliability. Operations were consolidated at the nearby, better-maintained Burwash Landing Airport (CYDB), which is located just 20 km to the northwest and continues to serve the region. Maintaining the Mt Logan/Silver City strip was no longer economically viable or logistically necessary.

The site is currently abandoned and decommissioned as an aviation facility. The long, gravel runway is still clearly visible from the air and the nearby Alaska Highway, but it is unmaintained and not suitable for aircraft operations. The land is undeveloped and serves as a historical landmark. Due to its flat, open nature, it is sometimes used informally by locals for recreational activities or as a temporary staging area, but it has no official function. It is located adjacent to the shores of Kluane Lake and near the boundary of Kluane National Park and Reserve.

The airstrip holds significant historical value as a remnant of the Northwest Staging Route (NWSR). The NWSR was a critical chain of airfields built alongside the Alaska Highway during WWII to facilitate the transfer of thousands of military aircraft from the United States to Alaska and the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program. This strip, often referred to as the Silver City Airstrip, served as an emergency landing and refueling stop for aircraft like the C-47 Skytrain, P-39 Airacobra, and B-25 Mitchell bombers. It was a vital piece of infrastructure that supported the war effort in the Pacific and European theaters. After the war, it saw limited use for local bush flying and access to the remote region before being abandoned.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Mt Logan Airstrip. The existence of the fully operational and maintained Burwash Landing Airport (CYDB) nearby makes reopening this strip redundant. Furthermore, any proposal to reactivate the airstrip would face significant financial and environmental challenges, given its location in a remote and ecologically sensitive area next to a national park.