NoneCA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport
ICAO
CA-0418
IATA
-
Elevation
- ft
Region
CA-AB
Local Time
Loading...
Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 59.900002° N, -116.349998° E
Continent: North America
Type: Closed Airport
Help fellow travelers by sharing your experience at Yates Tower Airport. Tips are reviewed before publishing.
See what travelers are saying about Yates Tower Airport from online reviews
AI-generated summary based on publicly available traveler reviews
Researching traveler experiences online...
No community tips yet for Yates Tower Airport.
Be the first to share a helpful tip for fellow travelers!
Loading weather data...
| Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
|---|
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|
Approximately late 1990s to early 2000s. An exact date is not publicly documented, but the closure coincides with the period when its associated fire lookout tower was decommissioned by the Alberta Forest Service.
The airport was closed due to obsolescence. Its sole function was to provide logistical support to the Yates Fire Lookout Tower. With advancements in wildfire detection technology, including satellite imagery and dedicated aerial patrols, the need for staffed, remote fire towers diminished. Once the Yates tower was decommissioned, the supporting airstrip no longer had a purpose and was abandoned.
The site is completely abandoned and unmaintained. Satellite imagery of the coordinates reveals the faint, straight-line clearing of the former runway, which is now significantly overgrown with shrubs and young trees. The airstrip is being reclaimed by the surrounding Boreal forest. There are no visible buildings or infrastructure remaining on the site. It is inaccessible by road and is not used for any purpose.
Yates Tower Airport was a remote, unpaved utility airstrip whose significance was tied directly to the Alberta Forest Service's wildfire management network. It was not a public airport. Its operations were seasonal (typically summer) and consisted of small bush planes (such as a de Havilland Beaver or Cessna 185) transporting fire observers, mail, food, and essential supplies to the isolated tower personnel. It was a critical link in a network of similar airstrips that allowed for the staffing and maintenance of fire lookouts across Alberta's vast northern forests before modern technology made them redundant.
There are zero plans or prospects for reopening Yates Tower Airport. Its original purpose is obsolete, and its extremely remote location, far from any population centers, industry, or infrastructure, means there is no economic or logistical justification for its reconstruction or maintenance.