Last updated: November 7, 2021
Place
Reeve's Field Trailhead
NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
Nabesna, Alaska
Significance:
Trail to historic site of prior airstrip
Designation:
National Park and Preserve
Amenities
1 listed
Trailhead
Mile 40.2 Nabesna Road. The first two miles is suitable for hiking, but beyond that, it becomes a muddy trail not recommended for hikers. Along the trail, please respect private property and take care not to trespass. Though Reeve's Field airstrip is no longer here, this area is historically significant. During 1941, trucks hauled equipment from Valdez to a rustic airstrip along the river. Pilot Bob Reeve cut the equipment into pieces, loaded it into his Boeing Trimotor, flew them to Northway about 40 miles north and had them re-welded. This effort was to build the Northway Airport, a critical stopover in ferrying led-lease aircraft to the Soviet Union during WWII. By November, he had transported all the materials needed for a full-scale airport. One month later the the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor gave relevance to his work and the airport which was a critical element in the defense of Alaska.