Flag Rock & Patsy's Mine (Farmington, UT)

Name: Flag Rock & Patsy's Mine

Location: Farmington, UT

Distance: Between 3.3 to 4.2 miles round trip (depending on which side you take)
Elevation gain: ~1051 ft.

Level: Difficult

Dogs allowed? Yes, but must be leashed

Directions: There are two trailheads to get up to Flag Rock. We recommend taking the North Trailhead, which is supposedly the one less traveled. The reason we prefer it is because it's more shaded (but not by much) than the South Trailhead and it's not straight up since it has more switchbacks. For us, it was the easier way up.

To get to the North Trailhead,  use the coordinates 40.989779,-111.879436 in Google Maps. It's recommended that you have a high clearance vehicle to get on Firebreak Road. When we went though, there was construction in the neighborhood and a "Private Property" sign in the cul-de-sac blocking the unpaved road we needed to access. Jason didn't feel comfortable going up so we parked down there and hiked probably another 0.5 mile up just to get to the trailhead.

To get to the South Trailhead, just type in "Patsy's Mine Trailhead, Farmington, UT" in the Google Maps app to get there. There's a parking lot in the neighborhood on the south side of 100 North that you can park at. On busy days, it can get full quickly.

Keep in mind that if you want to see Patsy's Mine first on your way up, then you should take the South side. For us, Patsy's Mine was a great reward coming down since the temperatures were so much cooler inside.

History: According to the City of Farmington's website, the flag was originally placed by Randy West to commemorate first responders and emergency personnel who lost their lives in the September 11th attack.  The Standard Examiner reported West and his brother built the trail on the north side in 2002. Each year on the anniversary, West and the Farmington Fire Department hosts an annual hike with the community to remember and honor those who died.

The climb symbolizes the club the rescuers took up the Twin Tower stairs since the elevators were, of course, not usable. The most awesome fact about all this is the height from the top of 100 North to the flag is the SAME HEIGHT of the Twin Towers before its collapse at 1,353 feet. How insightful is that? Take the time to reflect on that as you're hiking up. It makes the trek a lot more meaningful.

Review: This was quite an ambitious hike for us to tackle as our first of the season! Quarantining and working from home during the COVID-19 has definitely put us out of shape. One of the reasons why we wanted to do it though is because the air quality has been so great lately with people staying home. Normally, the ozone or inversion would create a fogging haze over the valley, but right now, there's a clear view at the top.

Know that no matter which way you take, you will be facing a steep incline all the way up. You can actually see Flag Rock and the waving flag from the very beginning of the trailhead, which actually makes it a little bit more intimidating since it seems so small and far away. It's a great workout for your legs, working out those glutes and thighs on the way up and then your calves and toes on the way down.

Another major thing to note about this trail is it is almost entirely exposed in the sun. Shade is rare and if you're not hiking earlier in the morning or later in the evening, you're going to feel the burn of the sun if you're hiking on a warmer day. Be especially cautious about this if you're taking a dog, as their body temperatures heat up faster than ours do. Bring twice or triple the amount of water that you think you'll need. We killed our entire water supply on the way up and definitely regretted it on the way down.

(Look closely to see the snake)

There are some parts of the trail that get extremely narrow, which makes social distancing hard when you're crossing paths with someone going the opposite direction. Watch out for wildlife - Jason said he saw a rattlesnake on our way up.

The top is beautiful and provides an awesome aerial view of Davis County, but there's not a lot of room if there's more than three or four other groups waiting to get their picture with the flag. There's a bench area that's great to sit at and picnic at. Be patient, so that you can get that perfect shot of the flag waving out in full stars and stripes. (Note: It's particularly tough to get the perfect timing with the flag AND a dog looking at the camera)

On our way down, we stopped at Patsy's Mine, which was dramatically cooler inside than the temperatures outside. I want to say it was a 20 to 30 degree drop. The ground was wet with puddles from what I'm guessing was melting snowfall. Make sure you bring a flashlight or the light on your cell phone works too. If there are people coming out of the cave as you're going in, there's enough room to pass, but definitely not enough to social distance. It's a cool little area to check out for a nice shaded break and some spelunking. Not recommended for those who are claustrophobic.

Final notes: Be prepared to be sore if you're out of shape like we were after the end of this hike. The incline up AND down is no joke. Don't underestimate the heat on warm days and bring lots of water. I have a small bladder, but didn't have the urge to use the bathroom once during this hike because my body needed all the water it could get. If you're bringing a dog on a warm day, bring booties to be safe because the ground can get very hot for their paws. Don't forget their water supply as well and take the time to soak in the beauty at the top if you can. The meaning of this hike makes the reward much more satisfying.