Wildcat Mountain Runway - Utah

All Photos © 2005 by Jay McMullan - Do not copy without written, expressed permission from Jay McMullan or his assignees - Violaters will be prosecuted.

Location: N40 26.294 W113 16.874

Files

Garmin Mapsource Topo
Google Earth File

I ran across a this runway while looking at the West Desert on Google Earth.

In this satellite photo, what appear to be aircraft are plainly visible on the ground. There are many small impact craters around the runway.

I had been near this location about a year before seeing it on Google Earth and I had seen some signs saying it was a military area and I saw some bright flashes toward this area but I could not see any aircraft flying overhead. I was still about 15 miles from Wildcat mountain. After reading about this area on Google Earth, I decided to take another drive to the area to see if I could get any photographs.

The road sign was taken just after I exited off of I-80 at N40 44.048 W113 06.914. The rest of the photographs were taken from N40 35.951 W113 08.583 (See Gate on Garmin Map).

Update 12-26-08

I found this information on the Google bulletinboards:

Mock Soviet Airfield

In 1976 the Air Force erected an mock soviet air field at this location. No paving was done, taxiways, runway, and hardstands were graded. Mock MIG-21 aircraft were built of oil drums and plywood.

This makes sense, since there are no visible aircraft at the field. I originally thought the aircraft were painted on the ground.

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The road curves around the locked gate to go along the east side of the bombing range. About a mile and a half south of the gate is a watchtower. It is obvious that it has not been used in a few years. The watchtower is located at N40 34.946 W113 07.738 (see Watchtower on Garmin Map).

This panorama was taken from N40 29.841 W113 07.016 (see LookingWest on Garmin Map) looking west southwest toward Wildcat mountain. I am still about 9 miles from the airstrip. With my binoculars, I could make out two tanks with orange and white checkerboards but no aircraft of any kind. I wonder if the aircraft seen on the satellite photos may be painted on the ground and if this base may be a mock airbase for bombing purposes.

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The panorama below was taken from above some sand dunes at N40 30.405 W113 07.591 (See ABOVEDUNES on the Garmin Map).

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The following panorama was taken in the mountains north of Wildcat Mountain at N40 37.074 W113 08.197 (See North on the Garmin Map).

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Below is the Garmin Map of Wildcat Mountain and the surrounding area.