Gulkana Airport (PAGK), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Gulkana Airport (PAGK / GKN) is a non-towered, public-use field in south-central Alaska, serving as a general aviation waypoint along the Richardson Highway corridor near Valdez and the Wrangell-St. Elias region. The airport pairs a paved 5,001-foot runway with a secondary gravel strip that converts to a ski strip in winter, reflecting the mixed operational demands of the area. Traffic in 2025 reached 422 total annual operations per FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation accounting for 303 of those movements. Seasonal staffing hours shift between summer and winter, and fuel is available at all hours via credit card.
Runways
Gulkana Airport has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 15L/33R, is 5,001 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Gulkana Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Gulkana Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Valdez Pioneer Field (PAVD), 65 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Gulkana Airport recorded 303 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July and August. Traffic at Gulkana Airport (PAGK) concentrates in the summer months, with business aviation operations peaking from June through August before dropping sharply in the fall.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 41 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Gulkana Airport averages 0.1 days above 90°F in July and 30.8 freeze days in December. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 69.3°F, and January the coldest, at 5.0°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Gulkana Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
An obstruction and beacon tower are located at the north approach end. The strip serves as a ski strip during winter and as a gravel strip at other times.
VASI for runways 15L and 33R, and MIRL for runway 15L/33R, are pilot-activated via CTAF.
A 6-foot brush obstruction is located 190 feet from the runway end and 90 feet to the right.
Runway conditions are unmonitored; a visual inspection before landing is recommended.
Birds and wildlife are present on and in the vicinity of the airport. Personnel and equipment may be working on the runway.
Fuel is available 24 hours a day using a credit card.
A weather camera is available online at https://weathercams.faa.gov.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Alternates
Gulkana Airport has five alternates within 100 NM. The nearest alternate is Valdez Pioneer Field (PAVD), 65.25 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PAGK
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$1,200.00 catering order at PAGK.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What is PAGK and where is it located?
PAGK, also known as Gulkana Airport (GKN), is a public-use airport in Gulkana, Alaska, at 1,586 feet elevation. It sits about 139 nautical miles from the nearest major metro area. The field is non-towered and operates under FAA TFMSC-tracked traffic patterns typical of interior Alaska general aviation activity.
What runways are available at Gulkana Airport (GKN)?
Gulkana Airport (GKN) has two runways: 15L/33R, a paved asphalt surface measuring 5,001 by 100 feet, and 15R/33L, a 2,300 by 60 foot gravel strip. The gravel runway serves as a ski strip during winter months and reverts to gravel the rest of the year. The paved runway is equipped with VASI and MIRL lighting activated via CTAF.
Is fuel available at PAGK?
PAGK offers both 100LL and Jet A fuel, available around the clock through a credit card system. Attendance hours differ by season: 0900-1700 Monday through Friday from June through September, and 1000-1500 Monday through Friday from October through May. Pilots operating outside attended hours can still access fuel via the card reader.
How does customs clearance work near Gulkana Airport?
Gulkana Airport (PAGK) does not have onsite customs processing. The nearest customs facility is at Valdez Pioneer Field (PAVD), approximately 65 nautical miles away. Pilots requiring customs clearance near GKN should plan to route through Valdez or another designated port of entry accordingly.