A landing strip is a long, flat area of ground where airplanes can take off and land safely. Unlike major airports with multiple runways, control towers, and terminals, a landing strip is usually simpler: just a cleared, level stretch of land, often in remote locations like the Alaskan wilderness, African safari regions, or small islands.

Bush pilots use landing strips to reach places where building a full airport would be impractical or impossible. Some landing strips are paved with asphalt or concrete, but many are just hard-packed dirt or grass, carefully maintained to stay smooth and obstacle-free. Mountain climbers flying into base camps, medical supply planes reaching isolated villages, and researchers heading to field stations all depend on these strips.

The term can also refer to the runways at small municipal airports that serve private planes and small aircraft. What makes something a landing strip rather than a runway is usually its simplicity. Creating a landing strip requires finding flat ground, clearing rocks and vegetation, and making sure the surface can support an aircraft's weight during landing and takeoff. For people living far from cities, a good landing strip is a lifeline connecting them to the rest of the world.