May Creek Airport

May Creek Airport sits six miles north of Glennallen, Alaska, along the Copper River Valley. It functions primarily as a general aviation facility, serving private pilots, chartered hunting and fishing parties, and occasional medevac flights. The single runway, oriented northeast-southwest, handles small aircraft like Cessna 208s and de Havilland Beavers. The surrounding terrain—taiga forest bisected by braided glacial rivers—makes visual flight rules the norm. There are no jet bridges, no baggage carousels, and no commercial airlines operating scheduled service. This is a frontier airstrip where the nearest traffic light is 190 miles away in Anchorage.

Getting There

May Creek Airport is reachable only by air or via a gravel access road from the Glenn Highway (Alaska Route 1). From Glennallen, drive north on the Glenn Highway for about five miles, then turn onto May Creek Road. The road is unpaved and can be rough, especially after rain or during spring breakup. Allow 20 minutes from downtown Glennallen. There is no public transportation to the airport; a private vehicle or pre-arranged shuttle is essential. During winter, the road may be snow-packed; four-wheel drive is recommended. The airport does not have a dedicated parking lot—cars park on the gravel apron adjacent to the terminal.

For those arriving by plane, May Creek is a common stop for pilots flying between Anchorage and the Copper River Basin. Fuel is available (100LL and Jet-A) on a self-serve basis, but call ahead to confirm availability. The nearest major airport is Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC), about 200 miles southwest. From Anchorage, most visitors drive to Glennallen (3.5 hours) or charter a flight directly to May Creek.

Inside the Terminal

The terminal at May Creek Airport is a single-story wooden building with a metal roof, typical of rural Alaskan infrastructure. Inside, the space is compact: a waiting area with a handful of seats, a counter for flight planning, and a small restroom. There is no TSA security checkpoint—passengers walk directly from the parking area to the aircraft. The building is unheated during off-hours, so dress warmly if you arrive outside operating times. The phone number posted on the door (+1 907-822-3222) connects to a local flight service or the airport manager.

On departure, check-in is informal. Pilots file flight plans via radio or phone. There is no food or drink for sale; bring your own supplies. The atmosphere is utilitarian and quiet, punctuated by the sound of aircraft engines starting on the ramp. Cell phone service is patchy (AT&T and GCI have limited coverage). Wi-Fi is not available. The terminal offers basic shelter—nothing more. For a longer wait, bring a book or binoculars to watch for moose and eagles along the runway.

On arrival, the experience is similarly no-frills. Your pilot will likely help unload luggage from the cargo pod or cabin. Ground transportation must be arranged prior to landing. There are no rental car desks or taxis waiting. If you are meeting someone, they will park on the gravel apron. The entire process from landing to leaving takes under ten minutes for those without checked baggage.

May Creek Airport-Myk and Glennallen

Glennallen, the nearest community to May Creek Airport, is a small town of about 500 people situated at the junction of the Glenn and Richardson Highways. It serves as the commercial hub for the Copper River Valley, with a grocery store, gas stations, a post office, and a few lodges and restaurants. The town is named after Captain Edwin Glenn and Lieutenant Henry Allen, who explored the region in the 1880s. The area's economy relies on government services, transportation, and tourism—specifically hunting, fishing, and access to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States, covering 13.2 million acres. From May Creek, the park's western boundary is less than 30 miles away. The park contains nine of the sixteen highest peaks in North America, including Mount Wrangell, an active volcano. Visitors come for backcountry hiking, river rafting on the Copper River, flightseeing tours, and glacier trekking. The park has limited road access; most visitors arrive by air or on foot. May Creek Airport is one of several airstrips that provide entry into the park's remote interior.

Beyond the park, the Copper River Valley offers world-class salmon fishing, especially for king salmon and red salmon. The nearby town of Chitina, 30 miles south, is a historic mining community and the jumping-off point for the McCarthy Road—a rugged gravel route that leads to Kennicott, a former copper mining town now preserved as a National Historic Landmark. For those interested in Alaska Native culture, the Ahtna people have inhabited this region for millennia, and their heritage is visible in place names and local art.

Glennallen itself is a practical stopover rather than a tourist destination. The Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, about 20 miles south, offers more amenities. The real draw is the wilderness: vast, quiet, and largely untouched. Travelers who fly into May Creek are typically self-sufficient—they have a clear plan for where they are going and what they will do. The airport is a threshold, not a terminus.

Practical Information

• Hours: The terminal is not open daily. Call +1 907-822-3222 to confirm hours. Typically, the airport is staffed during daylight hours or by appointment. Outside these times, the facility is unattended but the runway remains accessible for pilots.
• Phone: +1 907-822-3222 (airport manager or local flight service).
• Website: No official website; the FAA provides basic information under airport code MYK.
• Fuel: Self-serve 100LL and Jet-A available 24/7 with credit card. Confirm availability before relying on it.
• Parking: Free gravel apron parking near the terminal. No security patrol—lock your vehicle.
• Transport: No rental cars or taxis at the airport. Pre-arrange a ride from Glennallen or use a charter service that includes ground transfer.
• Lodging: Nearest hotel is in Glennallen (e.g., Caribou Hotel, Northern Nights Inn). Book ahead in summer.
• Seasons: Summer (June–August) is busiest with 24-hour daylight. Winter operations require careful planning due to snow and cold. The busiest times per local data are late evenings and early mornings, reflecting charter flight schedules.

One concrete piece of advice: Always call ahead to confirm the airport is open before departure. The terminal may be locked, fuel pumps may be offline, and the access road may be impassable after a storm. The phone number on the door is your lifeline—use it.