Scott's USAF Installations Page

Trip Report: The Road to Reno

First published in 2016. Reformatted 2025.

A couple of years ago I planned an extensive driving trip out west, structured around attending a historical conference in Reno. The trip had to be cancelled, but I set the plan on the shelf for future use. Two years later, I dusted off the plan and hit the road. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.

Friday, 29 April 2016

I drove through light snow most of the day; when I crossed into Utah the sky cleared.

Hill Air Force Base UT, PIN 1740, ILC KRSM, 41-07-20, 111-58-50. My only stop on the base (aside from the mandatory B.X. visit) was the Hill Aerospace Museum. I had scouted the outdoor exhibits on a previous visit but this time I toured the inside.
Outdoor display aircraft

From Hill AFB, I drove just a few more miles to my hotel in Ogden. This was a 10-hour day covering 412 miles.

Saturday, 30 April 2016

I hit the road at 0700, making one stop in Ogden before heading into Idaho.

Utah Army Depot UT, Army Installation 49855, ILC XQVA, 41-15-45, 111-59-50. This US Army supply depot was built during WWII and served until 1997, when it was closed as a result of the 1995 BRAC. Over the years it was known by many names: Utah Quartermaster Depot, Utah Army Service Forces Depot, Utah General Distribution Depot, Utah General Depot, Utah Army Depot, Defense Depot Ogden, and Defense Distribution Depot Ogden. The Army tends to go overboard with name changes for its depots.
Warehouse 5X
Warehouse 6C
Warehouse 7A
Warehouses 11A and 12A
Warehouse 13A
Warehouses 13A, 14A, and 15A
Warehouse 15A
Warehouse 16A
Elevated water storage tank

Minidoka Japanese Relocation Center ID, 42-40-43, 114-14-35. Locally known as Hunt Camp, this was one of several relocation centers (prisons, really) that housed Americans of Japanese ancestry during WWII. It has recently been taken over by the National Park Service as the Minidoka National Historic Site.
General view
General view
Replica guard tower
Replica perimeter fence
Military police (L) and reception (R) buildings
Mess hall (L) and barrack (R)
Refrigerated warehouse
Lavatory
Warehouse
Steward's storage warehouse
Motor repair and tire shop
Fire station
Root cellar

Gowen Field ID, PIN 7527, ILC BXRH, 43-33-50, 116-13-40. The Boise Municipal Airport was renamed Gowen Field in 1941 and served 2AF during WWII. It was improved under the Defense Landing Areas for National Defense (DLAND) program. It went on inactive status in 1946, but military use by the ANG resumed in the mid 1950s. Also in the mid 1950s, the civilian side of the airport became known as Boise Air Terminal. Today, much of Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI) is still an ANG base. I did visit the Idaho Military History Museum, which is on former Gowen Field property.
Museum building
Display aircraft

My overnight destination was Caldwell, Idaho, after covering 411 miles in 9.5 hours.

Sunday, 1 May 2016

I departed Caldwell at 0645 on what would be the longest mileage day of the trip.

Seneca Communications Site GWEN 898 OR, ILC VHCL, 44-09-51, 119-03-35. This was a standard Ground Wave Emergency Network site with 299-foot tower. It began operations in approximately 1988, shut down in the late 1990s, and the property disposed of 8 March 2000.
General view
General view
Gate
Tower
Tower base
Equipment shelters
Equipment shelters

Burns Air Force Station OR, PIN 3103, ILC CUUM, 43-33-54, 119-09-06. This Air Defense Command radar site, also known by the designation M-118 (later Z-118) was activated in 1955. It was inactivated in 1970.
Ground-Air Transmitter-Receiver building
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view

Christmas Valley Radar Site OR, ILC DRSY, 43-16-30, 120-22-40. This was the west coast transmitter site in the Over-the-Horizon Backscatter (OTH-B) radar network. The USAF accepted the system in 1990, and by 1992 it was placed in caretaker status. It was inactivated on 1 October 1997. It had three, nearly identical sectors allowing a wide range of coverage over the Pacific Ocean.

Sector 4
General view

Sector 5
General view
General view
General view
General view
Gate
Sign
Sign
Sign frame
Transmitter building
Transmitter building
Transmitter building
Water storage tank
Electric substation
Fence

Sector 6
General view

Alkali Lake Flight Strip OR, 43-05-10, 119-58-31. This flight strip was used by 2AF during WWII as an auxiliary field. Although it doesn't see much use, it is still functions as Alkali Lake State Airport (R03).
View from access road
Sign
Parking area with aircraft tie down point
General view

I settled into Lakeview, Oregon, for the night. This was a 10.5-hour day covering 493 miles.

Monday, 2 May 2016

I cleared out of Lakeview at 0700, looking forward to seeing more of Oregon before dipping south into California.

Klamath Falls Communications Site GWEN 887 OR, ILC MFWS, 42-17-19, 121-40-14. A standard Ground Wave Emergency Network site with 299-foot tower, it was activated in the late 1980s and shut down in the late 1990s. It was disposed of 8 March 2000.
General view
Gate
Antenna tower
Antenna tower base
Equipment shelters
Equipment shelters

Kingsley Field OR, PIN 3345, ILC MFWM, 42-09-45, 121-44-20. Early in WWII the Klamath Falls Airfield was listed as an AAF station, but in late 1943 construction began to make this Naval Air Station Klamath Falls. It served until late 1945 and was disposed of in 1946. A decade later, Klamath Falls Municipal Airport was activated by the Air Force for Air Defense Command. In 1957 it was renamed Kingsley Field. It was transferred to TAC in 1979, and then to the ANG in the mid 1980s. Much of the former base continues to serve with the ANG today (I stocked up on water and snacks at their small B.X.!), with part of the former airfield functioning as Klamath Falls Airport (LMT).
WWII-era aircraft hangar
ADC fighter-interceptor alert hangar

Siskiyou County Airport CA, PIN 8822, ILC VSWP, 41-46-50, 122-28-15. This airport served as a sub-base to Hamilton Field and Chico AAFld during WWII, and was declared surplus in late 1944. In 1962 the Air Force leased some land and acquired joint use of the runway. On 1 January 1963 the Siskiyou County Airport was activated under Air Defense Command. It served until 1 July 1971, and was disposed of in 1972. It still serves the community as Siskiyou County Airport (SIY). Two of the four alert aircraft shelters (hangars) still stand.

Weapon Storage Area
General view
Facility 400, Security guard house
Facility 400, Security guard house
Facility 400, Security guard house and gate
Facility 409, Assembly and checkout building
Facility 409, Assembly and checkout building
Facility 409, Assembly and checkout building
Facility 411, Storage igloo
Facility 411, Storage igloo
Facility 411, Storage igloo
Building

Support Area
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Readiness crew composite facility
Facility 200
Facility 3025
Facility 3025
Building [1]
Building [1]
Building [2]
Building [2]
Building [3]

This was a short day--245 miles in 7.5 hours--and I stopped for the night in Yreka, California.

Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Another 0700 start, and another nice day for travel. I really lucked out with good weather on this trip!

Tulelake Prisoner of War Camp CA, 41-58-04, 121-34-03. This small property was constructed in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as camp FW5-3. During WWII it became the Army's Tulelake Prisoner of War Camp. It also served briefly as an adjunct to the nearby Tulelake Japanese Reception Center, housing American citizens of Japanese ancestry, under the name Camp Tulelake. Now it is part of the Tule Lake Unit of WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument.
General view
Signs
Kitchen/mess hall
Kitchen/mess hall
Barracks
Barracks
Workshops
Workshops
Paint shop
Paint shop

Tulelake Japanese Reception Center CA, 41-53-20, 121-21-45. This large property, more than 3,500 acres, was a major Japanese Relocation (at first) and Segregation Center (converted in 1943) during WWII. The small Tulelake Municipal Airport (081) now sits on the former segregation center property. Now part of the Tule Lake Unit of WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, the National Park Service describes this as the "largest and most controversial" of the 10 War Relocation Authority camps.
General view
Signs
Monument
Building under protective shelter
Building under protective shelter

Tulelake Radar Site CA, ILC XHSR, 41-42-45, 121-10-15. This was the receiver site of the west coast Over-the-Horizon Backscatter (OTH-B) radar network. It was activated as an installation 23 June 1987, and the Air Force accepted control of the system in December 1990. It was reduced to caretaker status in 1992, and inactivated 1 November 1997. It consisted of three, nearly identical sectors that provided a wide view of radar coverage over the Pacific Ocean.

Sector 4
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Gate
Receiver building
Receiver building
Receiver building
Receiver building
Entrance walkway
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
Water storage tank
Vehicle garage
Vehicle garage
Microwave antenna detail

Sector 5
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Gate
Sign
Sign
Sign
Receiver building
Water storage tank
Receiver building (L) and water storage tank (R)
Fence detail
Rock jack fence support

Sector 6
General view
General view
Gate
Sign
Receiver building
Receiver building
Receiver building
Receiver building detail
Receiver building detail
Receiver building detail
Water storage tank
Water storage tank detail
Water storage tank detail
Water storage tank (L) and receiver building (R)
Receiver building (L) and water storage tank (R)
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
Security lighting

After seeing those sights in northeast California, I headed into Nevada. This was another fairly short day, 389 miles in 9.25 hours. Reno was my destination for two nights.

Wednesday, 4 May 2016

I was delighted to sleep in after several days on the road. Close to lunch time, I drove the short distance to the airport and met Debbie at arrivals. She couldn't make the whole trip, but flew out so we could spend the last few days together driving back to Denver.

Stead Air Force Base NV, PIN 2562, ILC WFUB, 39-40-00, 119-52-45. This is now the Reno/Stead Airport (RTS). Reno Army Air Base served the AAF during WWII, and was inactivated 20 October 1945. Disposal efforts were underway when the War Asset Administration transferred the base back to the Air Force on 18 February 1949. It was redesignated Stead Air Force Base on 1 August 1951, and was inactivated 15 June 1966.
Semi-Automatic Ground Environment Direction Center DC-16
Facility 3702, Security guard house
Facility 3702, Security guard house

A very restful day, we only put 37 miles on the Outback.

Thursday, 5 May 2016

At 0730 this was the latest start time of the trip. But that's okay, we enjoyed a nice breakfast before checking out.

Winnemucca Air Force Station NV, PIN 3310, 41-00-40, 117-46-03. This Air Defense Command radar site, known as M-127 (later, Z-127) was activated 3 February 1956 and served until inactivation on 1 April 1968.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Operations building
Operations building
Operations building
Operations building
Operations building
Operations building showing metal addition
Operations building showing metal addition
Height finder radar tower
Height finder radar tower
Height finder tower (background) and height finder tower foundation (foreground)
Search radar tower
Search radar tower and operations building
Search radar tower (L) and height finder tower (R background) and height finder tower foundation (L foreground)
Ground-air transmitter/receiver (GATR) building
GATR building
GATR building
Operations building and search radar tower
Operations building and height finder radar tower
Metal building [1]
Metal building [1]
Metal building [1]
Metal building [2], height finder radar tower in background
Power plant
Power plant
Power plant and fuel tanks
Fuel tanks, GATR building in background
Water storage tank
Water storage tank

Winnemucca Housing Annex NV, PIN 5718, 40-59-26, 117-44-25. This housing and support area was downhill from the radar site.
Building [1]
Building [1]
Building [1]
Building [1]
Building [2]
Building [3]
Building [4]
Building [5]
Metal building [1]
Metal building [1]
Metal building [2]
Metal building [2]
Metal building [3]
Metal building [4]
Metal building [5]
Metal building [6]
Metal building [6]
Metal building [6]
Metal building [7]
Metal building [7]

Our lodging for the night was in Wendover, just a couple of miles from the airfield. We covered 434 miles in 10.5 hours. The entire trip was 3,266 miles.

Updated May 10, 2025

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