Eaglenest Airport

Economic. The airstrip was built to provide logistical support for a mineral exploration project in the highly mineralized region of northern British Columbia known as the 'Golden Triangle'. The closure was a direct result of the cessation of the exploration program it served, either due to the project's completion, unsatisfactory results, or a downturn in commodity prices making further exploration economically unviable.

The airport is abandoned and completely unusable. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms the presence of a former runway located in the Iskut River valley. The gravel strip is still visible but is significantly overgrown with vegetation and is being reclaimed by the surrounding wilderness. There is no remaining infrastructure, such as buildings or hangars, at the site.

Eaglenest Airport's significance was purely functional and localized. It served as a vital lifeline for a remote exploration camp, enabling the transport of personnel, equipment, fuel, and geological samples in and out of an area with no road access. Operations would have been limited to VFR (Visual Flight Rules) conditions and would have involved rugged bush planes capable of using short, unprepared gravel strips, such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, or Cessna 185/206.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Eaglenest Airport. Given its remote location and deteriorated condition, it is highly unlikely to be reactivated. Any future mining or exploration company initiating a major project in the immediate vicinity would likely construct a new, modern airstrip to their own specifications or rely exclusively on helicopter support from a larger regional base like Dease Lake or Stewart, BC.