Mexican Mountain is a very remote place within the San Raphael Swell in Utah, although you'd be hard pressed to find it.
It's a wilderness area revered by local indigenous populations, where no motorised vehicles are permitted. No ATVs, no FWDs, no motorcycles or even electric bikes. Not even a chainsaw is allowed. Nearest road is 8 miles away. No fires are allowed. The only access is by foot or horse. The San Raphael river winds around the mountain and the river provides greenery.
But there is a very small exception, permitted by history and a long-standing agreement between the UBCP (Utah Back Country Pilots, of which I'm a member) and locals and the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), whereby suitable aircraft can use an old mining strip in the heart of this Wilderness area.
This strip has been on my radar for a while. Last year (Sep 2024 when I was nearby), it was washed out & damaged due to rain and excess waterflow, but UBCP came to the fore and hiked the necessary miles to rectify the damage, carrying only shovels and other hand tools, plus supplies & camping equipment, as per Wilderness requirements.
In May 2025 I was able to land there. I'm grateful to the above organisations that allow me, a lowly pilot, to use such a remote strip.
Great fun with an A-65 and no mixture control.
https://youtu.be/SL60kLRQ4ms
It's a wilderness area revered by local indigenous populations, where no motorised vehicles are permitted. No ATVs, no FWDs, no motorcycles or even electric bikes. Not even a chainsaw is allowed. Nearest road is 8 miles away. No fires are allowed. The only access is by foot or horse. The San Raphael river winds around the mountain and the river provides greenery.
But there is a very small exception, permitted by history and a long-standing agreement between the UBCP (Utah Back Country Pilots, of which I'm a member) and locals and the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), whereby suitable aircraft can use an old mining strip in the heart of this Wilderness area.
This strip has been on my radar for a while. Last year (Sep 2024 when I was nearby), it was washed out & damaged due to rain and excess waterflow, but UBCP came to the fore and hiked the necessary miles to rectify the damage, carrying only shovels and other hand tools, plus supplies & camping equipment, as per Wilderness requirements.
In May 2025 I was able to land there. I'm grateful to the above organisations that allow me, a lowly pilot, to use such a remote strip.
Great fun with an A-65 and no mixture control.
https://youtu.be/SL60kLRQ4ms
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