What Is American Flag Mountain?
Colorado's 848th highest peak, at 12,713 feet of elevation, gets its name from all the United States flags on the summit. Every year, as the snow melts, people put new flags on its summit in large quantities. Some years there could be 20 different flags on the top. It remained an unnamed peak until the late 1890s, when miners in the area put flags on its summit, then it officially got named American Flag Mountain.
Update: Since we published the article, Flag Mountain Donations reached out with some additional information about the area and origin of names. "When the miners were prospecting in the area, they saw this view of 'Flag' mountain, and it reminded them of the stripes in the American Flag. Nearby is Italian Mountain, named so because the miners saw the white snow, the green grass and trees, and the red colored rock (the colors in the Italian flag). Just North of Italian Mountain is Lambertson Peak, and that was named after John Lambertson, who owned and worked a mine nearby for nearly fifty years.”
It is one of the most-reached summits in the area due to the fact that you can drive a 4-wheel-drive vehicle all the way up, which is typically reached by the Italian Creek trail.
Bronco Nation plans to lead this drive on the Thursday of Super Celebration West. Members registered for the event are welcome to join us! Due to the technical nature of the trail, Sports will not be able to join this one (we have one on Saturday for you!), and we recommend Broncos coming on the trail have Sasquatch package.
The first time I ever took the route to Flag Mountain was back on July 14th, 2019. We encountered a snow field that kept us from finishing the trail and at the same time, encountered an abandoned Jeep that had been mired in the snow. On our way back down the trail, we found the owner hiking back up the trail with some small shovels he was going to use to free the vehicle. Our group, always in it for the adventure, gave them a ride back up and spent an hour or so getting them out. We always try to keep good karma and help others on the trail whenever we can. I’ve included a few photos from that day.
We were able to complete the trail last year in August and I made it all the way up with my husband Brian and friends to Flag Mountain for the first time. It was a surprisingly chilly but beautiful day.
This year, my plans are to bring my binoculars to check out a couple of mines and faint trails I could see along the peaks in the distance. This will be a full trail day, so I encourage everyone to bring some lunch, snacks, and plenty of non-alcoholic beverages. If the day starts warm, you should still bring a heavy jacket as weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains.
Trail Description
We will drive on about an hour on the pavement from Buena Vista to Taylor Park via Cottonwood Pass. Then from Taylor Park, we’ll drive for about 12 miles on the Taylor River Trail. This is basically a dirt and gravel road and will take us to the start of the Italian Creek Trail. This rocky, narrow trail, also called Trail 759, will begin to wind its way up past some private cabins before becoming even rockier and narrower. A few tight switchbacks and some absolutely breathtaking scenery will eventually lead us to the top of Flag Mountain. The steep final climb is exhilarating and leads to an incredible 360-degree view.
If there is time, we can travel back to Taylor Park on the easier Reno Ridge to create a loop trail. Then we’ll go back to Taylor Park and return to Buena Vista. The entire day should take approximately 6 hours.
Have You Been to the Top?
We love hearing about your experiences, so tell us below: Have you been on a portion of this trail? Did you reach the summit? If you're not attending Super Cel West to do this trail with Bronco Nation this year, does it make you want to try it in a group on your own?
And if you have questions about taking it on in a few weeks with us, drop those below too! We're going to have a great time on this drive with you.
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