Airport information
- FAA LID
- C53
- Coordinates
- 44.8084, -114.8088
- Elevation
- 4,200 ft MSL
- Magnetic variation
- 17E
- Sectional chart
- GREAT FALLS
- Airport use
- Public
- Control tower
- No
- ARTCC
- SALT LAKE CITY (ZLC)
- Flight service (FSS)
- BOISE
- NOTAM facility
- BOI
- Attendance
- UNATNDD
- Segmented circle
- No
- Wind indicator
- yes
- Activated
- 1992/11
- Distance from city
- 30 SW
Weather
METAR observed
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TAF forecast
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Sun & FAA night 2026-06-21
| Event | Local (MDT) | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Morning civil twilight Loggable night ends | 05:16 AM | 11:16Z |
| Sunrise | 05:53 AM | 11:53Z |
| Sunset | 09:29 PM | 03:29Z |
| Evening civil twilight Loggable night begins | 10:06 PM | 04:06Z |
Plan a flight from C53
Night operations
- Pilot-controlled lighting
- Usually keyed on CTAF 122.9 — confirm the click sequence in the Chart Supplement ↗
FAA night windows (civil twilight, loggable night §1.1, currency §61.57) are in the live weather panel above.
Traffic pattern
- Landing
- Rwy 13
- Pattern
- left (turns left)
- TPA
- 5,200 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL)
- CTAF
- 122.9
Enter the left downwind for Rwy 13 at 5,200 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL) on a 45°. TPA estimated at 1,000 ft AGL (not charted for this field).
Runway 13/31
1,100 ft · TURF- Heading
- n/a
- Heading
- n/a
| Runway | Length | Your margin |
|---|---|---|
| 13/31 | 1,100 ft |
Nearby navigation aids
| NavAid | Type | Freq | Radial / Dist magnetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| LKT · Salmon | VOR-DME | 113.50 | r230° / 33.4 NM |
Chart Supplement FAA A/FD
Open PDF ↗Preview Chart Supplement
VFR sectional
Services
- Bottled oxygen
- NONE
- Bulk oxygen
- NONE
- Airframe service
- NONE
- Powerplant service
- NONE
- Parking
- tiedowns
Ownership & management
Remarks FAA
- PROVIDED VFR OPS.
- ARPT LCTD ON A PLATEAU 50 FT TO 75 FT ABOVE THE RIVER.
- RY NOT MARKED.
- RECOMMEND LAND RY 16; DEPART RY 34 WHEN WIND CONDITIONS ALLOW.
- NO WINTER MAINT.
- STOCK AND BIG GAME ANIMALS INVOF RY.
- RODENT ACTIVITY ADJACENT BOTH SIDES OF RY.
- LCTD IN NARROW WINDING RIVER CANYON.
- FOR CD CTC SALT LAKE ARTCC AT 801-320-2568.
- 1 SET OF TIE DOWNS
Nearby airports
Weather is live from the Aviation Weather Center; airport facility data is from the FAA NASR (28-day cycle). For planning and education only; always verify against official sources. Open C53 in a full tool: METAR/TAF decoder, crosswind calculator, sun & night times, or the density altitude calculator. Planning from here? Find the nearest airport with fuel or an approach, or check whether an IFR alternate is required.
About C53
Lower Loon Creek Airport (C53) is an airport in Challis, ID, at 4,200 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 1,100 ft, with no control tower (pilot-controlled). This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for C53, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.
Does C53 have a control tower?
No. Lower Loon Creek Airport is a non-towered (pilot-controlled) airport; use the published CTAF/UNICOM on the Comms & NavAids tab.
What is the longest runway at C53?
Lower Loon Creek Airport has 1 runway; the longest is 1,100 ft. See the Runways tab for headings, surface, and lighting.
Where is C53?
Lower Loon Creek Airport is in Challis, ID, at an elevation of 4,200 ft MSL. Coordinates: 44.8084, -114.8088.
Fly out of C53 often?
Save C53 as your home base in the SkyReady app for a one-tap Go/No-Go readiness brief, weather alerts, and automatic FAA currency — free to log.