Fish Creek Airstrip - Historical Items of interest https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/ Trail Advocates Discussion Board en-US Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:36:08 +0000 wpForo 60 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/paged/2/#post-5329 Wed, 15 May 2024 16:35:06 +0000 You guys are good!  I don't know how I missed it, but I did see the La Dee Flats one on at least one older map.  The reference to the strip at Peavine was not part of the segments you scanned - it was in the last chapter of the book:

45

After re-reading this, it kind of sounds like they just used the spur road by widening it.  There are a few straight sections of logging road near Peavine that could have been used.

]]> Historical Items of interest Rob https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/paged/2/#post-5329 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5328 Wed, 15 May 2024 15:07:40 +0000 Some of the older maps have this circle symbol.  I did a little research and am pretty sure this indicates an unpaved runway.  This is from the 1952 MHNF map.

 

44]]> Historical Items of interest Kirk https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5328 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5327 Wed, 15 May 2024 01:23:03 +0000 The 1958 Estacada RD map shows the location of the LaDee airstrip.

43]]> Historical Items of interest Doug Firman https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5327 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5326 Wed, 15 May 2024 00:22:28 +0000 I've seen references to the airstrip at LaDee but haven't seen anything about one near Peavine.  Here's a newspaper clipping from 1946 about the LaDee airstrip:

42]]> Historical Items of interest Doug Firman https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5326 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5325 Mon, 13 May 2024 23:37:22 +0000 I ended up getting one of the copies - I'm still reading it but they also talk about a strip up on La Dee Flats (before the Fish Creek one) and also one out near Peavine Mountain (after Fish Creek was built).  I don't see any references on any maps to either of the other two air strips - it sounds like the Fish Creek one was the one that was mostly used since it was near the logging camp.

I also didn't realize the logging up Fish Creek was so long ago - sounds like Dwyer started logging Fish Creek in the late 40's.  Given the dates on some of the bridges (70s), I always assumed it was later.  Those concrete bridges must have been replacements for log bridges maybe?

]]> Historical Items of interest Rob https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5325 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5324 Fri, 03 May 2024 22:55:57 +0000 There's some historical information about the airstrip and logging on Fish Creek in a book about the Dwyers.  It's been a long time since I've looked at it but I think there are some photos.

The Dwyers : pioneers in the timber industry by Katherine McCune Hurd. The Estacada library has a copy: https://lincc.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/lincc/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f24$002fSD_ILS:24684/ada

]]> Historical Items of interest Doug Firman https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5324 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5323 Fri, 03 May 2024 02:32:55 +0000 I hadn't looked at that - that area must be the one that they recently blocked off - people used to do dispersed camping there.

I may investigate seeing if I can get permission to download those images to display here - I think they are kind of cool - a bit of background on an oddity in the district....

]]> Historical Items of interest Rob https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5323 RE: Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5322 Fri, 03 May 2024 00:59:12 +0000 Nice find!

The 1966 map has the "DWYER LOGGING CAMP" located about 1/4 mile up Fish Creek from its confluence with the Clackamas River.

I've sometimes wondered why Fish Creek wasn't designated as a river.  It seems to have more flow than the Roaring River.

]]> Historical Items of interest Kirk https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5322 Fish Creek Airstrip https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5321 Thu, 02 May 2024 22:47:51 +0000 I found these two pictures of the Fish Creek Airstrip from 1956 - sure looks a LOT different than it did the last time I saw it (which was before the fires).  Also interesting was that it was built by the Dwyer Lumber Company which had a mill down by Fish Creek (I'm assuming it was probably in the area where the Fish Creek campground is).

Plane Landing on Airstrip

Plane Approaching Airstrip from the Air

This is what it looked like in 2009 when I visited it - I'm sure it looks WAY different now:

]]> Historical Items of interest Rob https://www.trailadvocate.org/community/historical-items-of-interest/fish-creek-airstrip/#post-5321