Cold Meadows USFS
U81 · Cold Meadows Guard Station, ID · Non-towered · Print kneeboard · Open on the map
Nearby now
Loading…
Weather
METAR observed
TAF forecast
Loading forecast…
Sun & FAA night2026-11-02 · night begins 04:57 PM
| Event | Local (PST) | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Morning civil twilight Loggable night ends | 05:49 AM | 13:49Z |
| Sunrise | 06:20 AM | 14:20Z |
| Sunset | 04:26 PM | 00:26Z |
| Evening civil twilight Loggable night begins | 04:57 PM | 00:57Z |
Plan a flight from U81
Winds aloft NOAA forecast · 3,000 to 53,000 ft
Loading winds aloft…
Full reports: nearest reporting station
Advisories
NOTAMs · Loading NOTAMs…
Pilot reports · Loading PIREPs…
Airspace hazards · Checking SIGMETs and G-AIRMETs…
Temporary flight restrictions · Checking for TFRs…
Runways
RWY 16LEFT traffic
- Heading
- 160° mag · 177° true
- Dimensions
- 4,550 × 90 ft
- TPA
- 8,000 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL) · standard
- Surface
- TURF-DIRT
- CTAF
- 122.9
Enter the left downwind (heading 340°) on the 45° at 8,000 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL).
More details — RWY 16
- Threshold elev
- 6,966 ft
- Approach obstacle
- Trees, 35 ft, 0 ft from threshold, 0 ft B of centerline
Pattern side: FAA NASR · TPA standard 1,000 ft AGL (not charted) · layout: FAA runway-end coordinates
| Runway | Length | Your margin |
|---|---|---|
| 16/34 | 4,550 ft |
Prefer one flat page? Full runway details for U81 → · New to pattern entries? The 45° entry, explained → · Teaching here? Print the U81 kneeboard →
Comms & NavAids
Communication frequencies
Taxi & takeoff
Source: FAA NASR (current 28-day cycle).
Nearby navigation aids
LKT 113.50
| NavAid | Type | Freq · ch | Range | Radial / Dist magnetic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LKT · Salmon | VOR/DME | 113.50 · 82X | High | r281° / 40 NM |
Prefer one flat list? All U81 frequencies →
Charts & procedures
Airport info
Airport information
- FAA LID
- U81
- Coordinates
- 45.2935, -114.9453
- Elevation
- 7,030 ft MSL
- Magnetic variation
- 17E
- Sectional chart
- GREAT FALLS
- Airport use
- Public
- Control tower
- No
- ARTCC
- SALT LAKE CITY (ZLC)
- Flight service (FSS)
- BOISE · 122.6 · 1-800-WX-BRIEF
- NOTAM facility
- BOI
- Attendance
- UNATNDD
- Segmented circle
- Yes
- Wind indicator
- yes
- Activated
- 1947/08
- Distance from city
- 0 NW
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 under Sun & FAA night in the Weather section.
Services fuel · repairs · oxygen · attendance
- Bottled oxygen
- NONE
- Bulk oxygen
- NONE
- Airframe service
- NONE
- Powerplant service
- NONE
- Parking
- tiedowns
Ownership & management 2 contacts
Remarks FAA · 16 notes
General
- NO WINTER MAINTENANCE.
- VERY HIGH DENSITY ALT FACTOR DURING SUMMER MONTHS.
- RODENT ACTIVITY ON AND INVOF ARPT.
- BE ADVISED USFS RECOMMENDS LEFT TURNOUT DOWN COTTON WOOD CREEK AFTER DEPARTING RY 16.
- NO TELEPHONE AVBL AT ARPT.
- RY MAY BE SOFT IN EARLY SPRING.
- RUBBER WATER BAR STRIPS ON RY.
- BIG GAME ANIMALS AND LIVESTOCK ON & INVOF RY.
- FOR CD CTC SALT LAKE ARTCC AT 801-320-2568.
Runways
- WHEN WIND CONDS PERMIT LND RWY 34; DEP RWY 16.
- RWY 16/34 FIRST 500 FT OF RWY 34 VERY ROUGH.
- UNPAINTED ROCK BDRY MKRS.
- ONLY 20 FT - CTR PTN OF RWY LEN IS DIRT & USED FOR TKOF & LDG.
Obstructions
- A WALL OF 35 FT+ TALL TREES LCTD AT 0 FT ON CNTRLN.
- RWY 16 +35 FT TREES AT 10 FT ON CNTRLN; +30 FT TREES AT 5 FT 50 FT LEFT.
- 125 FT TIMBERED RIDGE AT 350 FT & 200 FT LEFT.
Nearby airports
Loading nearby conditions…
Also nearby: I08 Cabin Creek USFS (9 NM) · U79 Chamberlain USFS (12 NM) · 09ID Taylor Ranch Landing Area (private) (12 NM) · 85U Soldier Bar USFS (13 NM) · U60 Big Creek (19 NM) · U54 Bernard USFS (21 NM)
About U81
Cold Meadows USFS (U81) is an airport in Cold Meadows Guard Station, ID, at 7,030 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 4,550 ft, with no control tower (pilot-controlled). This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for U81, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.
Does U81 have a control tower?
No. Cold Meadows USFS is a non-towered (pilot-controlled) airport; use the published CTAF/UNICOM in the Comms & NavAids section.
What is the longest runway at U81?
Cold Meadows USFS has 1 runway; the longest is 4,550 ft. See the Runways section for headings, surface, and lighting.
Where is U81?
Cold Meadows USFS is in Cold Meadows Guard Station, ID, at an elevation of 7,030 ft MSL. Coordinates: 45.2935, -114.9453.
More about U81
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 U81 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.
Something here wrong or out of date? Report a data problem.