Gold Creek Airport

Economic reasons related to the natural resource industry. The airstrip was built and operated to support oil and gas exploration and extraction activities in this remote area of Alberta. Such private airstrips are often decommissioned once a specific project is completed, a field's production declines, or when improved road access makes air transport no longer cost-effective or necessary.

The airport is fully abandoned and decommissioned. The physical site still exists, but the former gravel/turf runway is completely overgrown with grass and shrubs, making it unusable for any aviation purposes. There are no remaining airport buildings, lighting, or markings. The land appears to have been absorbed back into the surrounding industrial lease area, which remains active with oil and gas infrastructure like well pads and access roads.

Gold Creek Airport served as a crucial logistical link for the oil and gas industry. Its primary function was to facilitate the movement of personnel, specialized equipment, and urgent supplies to and from remote drilling and processing sites west of Grande Prairie. Operations typically involved charter flights using rugged, STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capable aircraft, such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-2 Beaver, and various Cessna models, which are well-suited for short, unpaved runways. The airport was a private (PPR - Prior Permission Required) aerodrome and was not intended for public use.

None. There are no known or published plans to reopen Gold Creek Airport. Given that its purpose was tied to a specific phase of industrial development that has since passed, and the site's current state of disrepair, a reopening is considered highly improbable. Any future need for air access in the area would likely result in the construction of a new facility tailored to modern requirements.