Floatplane base

Lake Hood Seaplane Base (LHD)

State seaplane base on Lakes Hood and Spenard next to ANC, home to many air taxi and flightseeing operators.

Elevation: 79 ft
Faa code: LHD
Water type: Lake
Fuel available: Yes
Distance to town: 3 mi

Lake Hood Seaplane Base (FAA LHD, ICAO PALH) is owned by the State of Alaska DOT&PF and sits on Lakes Hood and Spenard beside Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, about 3 miles from downtown, at 79 feet elevation. It has three water lanes of 4,541, 1,930 and 1,369 feet, plus a 2,200-foot gravel and dirt strip, a control tower and fuel. In winter the frozen lake is maintained for ski planes. Public ramps are on the north and west shores; the FAA warns of waterfowl and large flocks of birds from spring to fall.

Location

In pictures

Connected places & operators

Operator

Rust's Flying Service

Website: Https://flyrusts.com/
Kind: Flightseeing
Ownership: Private

Family-run floatplane operator at Lake Hood, flying Denali, glacier and Lake Clark flightseeing trips and charters.

Flightseeing

Sources

Lake Hood Seaplane BaseWikipedia · Accessed 2026-11-13
FAA Airport Data: LHDFederal Aviation Administration · Accessed 2026-11-13

Last updated 2026-11-13

Nearby within 25 miles

Museums

Museum

Alaska Aviation Museum

Bush plane and Alaska aviation history museum on the shore of Lake Hood.

0.6 mi

Reference 117

Museum

Anchorage Museum

Downtown museum of Alaska art, history, science and Alaska Native cultures, with the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center.

3.4 mi

Airports

Reference 124

Airport

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)

Alaska's main airport, 5 miles southwest of downtown, with three long runways and a control tower.

1.4 mi

Airport

Merrill Field (MRI)

City-owned general aviation airport a mile east of downtown, Anchorage's first airport (1930).

4.4 mi

Viewpoints

The Anchorage skyline and Chugach Mountains seen across the water from Point Woronzof

Reference 137

Viewpoint

Point Woronzof

Bluff-top overlook by the airport with Denali views, sunsets, eagles, swallows and reliable moose.

1.9 mi

Viewpoint

Kincaid Park

Large west Anchorage park on old moraine with ski trails, frequent moose and views of Denali and Mount Susitna.

3.8 mi

Viewpoint

Potter Marsh

Boardwalk through a coastal marsh 15 minutes south of downtown, with waterfowl, eagles, moose and spawning salmon.

7.7 mi

Reference 127

Viewpoint

Beluga Point

Rocky Turnagain Arm pullout at Seward Highway Mile 110.5 for spotting beluga whales in late summer.

15.5 mi

Fishing spots

A king salmon in the shallow water of Ship Creek

Reference 133

Fishing spot

Ship Creek

Downtown king and coho salmon fishery beside the Port of Anchorage, the area's most popular stream fishery.

3.5 mi

Cultural sites

A visitor steps through an oval doorway in a wooden clan house, beside a large painted house post at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

Reference 147

Cultural site

Alaska Native Heritage Center

Statewide Alaska Native cultural center with dance, games, a Hall of Cultures and six village sites around a lake.

8.8 mi

Mountains

Reference 130

Mountain

Flattop Mountain

3,510-foot peak above Anchorage's Hillside, the most climbed mountain in Alaska.

12.0 mi

Public use cabins

Public-use cabin

Eagle River Cabin

Small drive-up cabin at Eagle River Campground; sleeps 4, $100 a night.

15.5 mi

Public-use cabin

Boreal Owl Cabin

Drive-up cabin at Eagle River Campground; sleeps 6, $100 a night.

15.6 mi

Public-use cabin

Ptarmigan Cabin

Drive-up cabin at Eagle River Campground; sleeps 6, $100 a night.

15.7 mi

Public-use cabin

Black Bear Cabin

Drive-up state park cabin at the north end of Bird Creek Campground; sleeps 6, $100 a night.

22.6 mi

Public-use cabin

Beluga Cabin

Walk-in state park cabin at Bird Creek Campground on Turnagain Arm; sleeps 8, $100 a night.

22.9 mi

Public-use cabin

Bore Tide Cabin

Large state park cabin at Bird Creek Campground; sleeps 12, $100 a night.

22.9 mi