Smoky Tower Airport

The closure was primarily due to operational obsolescence and economic factors. As a forestry airstrip supporting the nearby Smoky fire lookout tower, its purpose diminished with changes in wildfire detection and suppression strategies. The Government of Alberta shifted focus from fixed-wing aircraft support for remote towers to more flexible methods like helicopter operations and advanced remote sensing. The high cost of maintaining a remote, low-traffic airstrip for a purpose that was no longer critical led to its abandonment and decommissioning.

The site is an abandoned and unmaintained airstrip. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms a distinct clearing in the forest in the shape of a runway, oriented approximately 15/33. The surface is completely overgrown with grass, shrubs, and small trees, making it unusable for any aircraft. The land is provincial Crown land and has no current official use. It is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding boreal forest.

Smoky Tower Airport was a small, remote aerodrome whose sole purpose was to support the Alberta Forest Service. Its name is derived from the 'Smoky' fire lookout tower it served. The airport was a critical logistical link in a network of facilities used for wildfire management in Alberta's vast northern forests. Operations consisted exclusively of light, single-engine, short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. These planes were used to transport personnel (tower observers), deliver supplies, and conduct aerial fire patrols. The airstrip itself was unpaved, likely gravel or turf, and suitable only for specific types of aircraft. Its significance is tied to the history of 20th-century forest management in the province before the widespread adoption of modern technology. The identifier 'CA-0347' is a non-official code, indicating it was a private or special-use strip not fully registered in the national system.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Smoky Tower Airport. The prospect is considered extremely low to non-existent. There is no economic, industrial, or public demand for an airport at this remote location. The cost to clear the land, rebuild the runway surface, and have it inspected and certified by Transport Canada would be substantial and without any viable justification. The original operational need for the airstrip no longer exists.