Hunter Mountain Airport

The closure was primarily due to a combination of economic and practical reasons. As a small, private airfield in challenging mountainous terrain, it likely faced high maintenance costs, limited use, and significant operational challenges (e.g., wind shear, winter weather, difficult approaches). The land eventually became more valuable to the Hunter Mountain Resort for expansion and other commercial activities than for aviation.

The site of the former airport is now fully integrated into the Hunter Mountain Resort (owned by Vail Resorts). The land that once served as the runway and taxiway has been repurposed as a large outdoor event space and festival ground. It hosts major annual events, including large-scale music festivals (such as the former Mountain Jam and Taste of Country festivals), concerts, and other seasonal activities. The area is also used for overflow parking during peak ski season and major events. There are no remaining signs of aviation infrastructure like hangars or runway markers.

Hunter Mountain Airport was a private general aviation airport built and operated by the Hunter Mountain ski resort. Its primary purpose was to provide convenient, fly-in access for affluent skiers, pilots, and resort patrons, particularly from the New York City metropolitan area. This 'fly-in, ski-out' capability was a luxury amenity that added to the resort's prestige in the 1970s and 1980s. The airport featured a single, unpaved turf runway (approximately 2,500 feet long) and handled light aircraft, such as single-engine Cessnas and Pipers. Its location in a valley surrounded by high peaks made it a notoriously challenging and scenic airport to operate from, requiring significant pilot skill.

Effectively zero. The land is now a core and profitable part of the resort's year-round business model as a major event venue. The cost to remove the event infrastructure, reconstruct a runway, and have it certified to modern safety standards would be prohibitive. Furthermore, the challenging terrain would make it difficult to meet today's stringent FAA safety requirements for an airport. The current land use is far more economically valuable to the resort's owners than a small private airport would be.