Airstrip

Becher's Bay Airstrip

Tim Hauf, timhaufphotography.com

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Scenic View/Photo Spot

In a flyer's eyes, Santa Rosa Island is blessed with a number of suitable flat areas for landing small planes, but the owners restricted flights and landings throughout their tenure. The Vails and others started flying over to the island in the 1930s, landing on a section of hay field southeast of the ranch house, which eventually developed into the "official" landing strip on the island.

This airstrip was slowly improved as use became more common, but not until 1988 was the strip graded into a level surface, eliminating a low hump near the center. Today, the Bechers Bay airstrip has been graded into a serviceable dirt strip, lengthened, and equipped with a windsock. Channel Islands Aviation used to fly visitors regularly to the island using this airstrip but stopped their operation in 2021.

For more detailed historical information and citations, please refer to the Historic Resource Study: Island Legacies - A History of the Islands within Channel Islands National Park

Private aircraft may not land within park boundaries. All aircraft must maintain a minimum 1000-foot altitude above land and sea surfaces within the park. However, FAA regulations state that pilots are requested to maintain a minimum of 2,000 feet above ground level over national park.