Coldwater Creek – Veteran’s Day Hike
Trail Overview
Distance: 3.6 mi | Location: North Ogden | Best Seasons: Week of Veteran’s Day | Elevation Gain: 902 ft | Route Type: Out and Back |Bathrooms @ Trailhead: Yes
I am so excited to share this unique hike with you. What makes this hike so awesome is that every year a non-profit organization called Follow the Flag hangs one of the world’s largest free-flying American flags in Coldwater Canyon. This hike takes you right up to the edge of the canyon so you can get an up-close look at “The Major” which is 11,800 square feet in size.
The mission of Follow the Flag is to honor, heal and inspire. So while this hike isn’t as “kid friendly” as the other ones I have shared, I knew that given all that has gone on this year we could all use a little bit of that in our lives. I also think this hike is a great way to share our thoughts with our kids about patriotism, our freedoms and remembering those that have died protecting our country.
Given the length of this hike and the elevation gain, I would not recommend taking little kids unless you are a strong hiker and plan on carrying them. For families with older kids this is a nice challenging hike to do together. Even if you can’t or don’t want to make the hike you should at least drive over to North Ogden and check out the flag from the base of the canyon.
The flag will be flying from October 28, 2023 until the morning of November 11, 2023
How the Tradition Got Started
On November 3, 2018 Major Brent Taylor (age 39) was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan; leaving behind a wife and seven children. At the time of his death he was also serving as the mayor of North Ogden City. In the week following Brent Taylor’s death, some family friends contacted Kyle Fox, the owner of “Big Betsy” (150′ x 78′), and asked if they could hang the flag in Coldwater Canyon as a surprise for Brent Taylor’s wife and children. After that first flight, North Ogden citizens decided they wanted their own flag to fly every year in honor of Major Brent Taylor and Veteran’s Day. The citizens pulled together and raised the necessary funds to purchase “The Major” (150′ x 78′), “The Lieutenant” (30′ x 60′), and a dozen 3′ x 5′ flags and become part of the Follow the Flag organization.
Getting There
From I-15 take exit 349 for 2700 North. After exiting the freeway head east. Follow 2700 north (which eventually becomes 2600 N) until you reach a T intersection (4.5 miles). Turn left at the T intersection onto Mountain Road. Follow Mountain Road headed north. Right before the stop sign at 2750 N, there is a parking lot on the right-hand side. You can park in that parking lot or along the road. The trailhead begins in that parking lot.
Trail Conditions
There are actually three routes you can take for this hike. Eventually, all of the routes converge as you get closer to the top, but here are the details on each:
Easy: The beginning of the easy route is a service road and is quite rocky and has some loose gravel. Eventually, you join up with a single track trail which is smoother. While the easy route has less of an incline than the moderate or difficult route I personally wouldn’t recommend it. Hiking on loose gravel and rocks is tiring and difficult.
Moderate: The moderate trail is a series of switchbacks. The trail is nice and smooth. Distance wise it is a tiny bit longer than the easy route but the lack of loose gravel makes up for it.
Difficult: The difficult trail takes you up a very steep service road. You don’t save much on distance so I would not recommend taking this route. Last year we took it because we were trying to get up there before sunset. My husband was carrying my two year old and he said it made for a pretty intense hike.
Trail Highlights
This trail is beautiful with the flags lining the entrance to the trail, the changing trees, the views of the valley and of course seeing “the Major” up close and personal. This is definitely a family experience you won’t forget!
Some Things to Be Aware Of
Since this is a more difficult hike than the usual hikes I highlight, below are some tips to help make this an enjoyable experience for you and your family.
Bring Layers and Plenty of Water
This trail is in the shade of the mountain in the morning and in the sun in the afternoon. Depending on which route you take you may be hiking in and out of sun and shade. Although the temperature is supposed to be on the warmer side this week it is nice to have a light jacket or sweatshirt in case you get chilled on the way back down.
The Trail is Exposed
There isn’t a lot of shade on this trail from trees so be sure to wear sunscreen and sunglasses to protect you from the sun. This is also why you need to make sure you bring enough water.
Allow Enough Time
With Daylight Savings you will want to make sure you start the hike early enough that you don’t end up coming down in the dark. Even with headlamps, I wouldn’t recommend hiking this trail in the dark with kids.
Pictures
If you are interested in getting good photos of “the Major” you will want to do the hike in the morning. The placement of the sun in the afternoon makes it hard to get good pictures of the flag.
Enjoy
I hope you and your family are able to get out and enjoy this hike! I would love to hear below in the comments what you think of it.
Happy hiking!
