Follow the Flag — Giant Flag in Grove Creek Canyon

Every Fourth of July, a giant American flag is unfurled across Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove and flies for about a week. The 'By the Dawn's Early Light' ceremony begins at 7:30 a.m. on July 4 at the Grove Creek Canyon Trailhead.

Not every Fourth of July tradition involves fireworks. In Pleasant Grove, the holiday is marked by something quieter and, for many, more moving: a giant American flag unfurled across the mouth of Grove Creek Canyon, where it flies for roughly a week against the Wasatch.

The flag measures 150 feet by 78 feet — more than a quarter-acre of fabric, weighing over 400 pounds, with stars six feet across. Hung across a 600-foot canyon wall, it's visible from miles out across the valley. Up close, standing beneath it is the part people describe as unforgettable: veterans with hands over their hearts, families taking it in together, the fabric moving in the morning canyon breeze.

The Unfurling Ceremony

The "By the Dawn's Early Light" unfurling ceremony begins at 7:30 a.m. on July 4 at the Grove Creek Canyon Trailhead, at the top of Grove Creek Drive, and lasts about an hour. After that, the flag stays up through roughly July 13, so even if you can't make the morning ceremony, there's a full window to come see it.

The nonprofit behind it, Follow the Flag, has carried out the event every Fourth of July for more than a decade. It's grown its own traditions around it — an annual Flag Walk in late June, when hundreds of people carry the folded flag 1.3 miles uphill from the city cemetery to the trailhead, and associated events like live music at the flag site and a 5K trail run later in the month.

Visiting

• The walk is short and easy — roughly 400 feet from the parking lot to stand beneath the flag, on a well-maintained dirt trail. State flags line the path on the way up.
• Restrooms are at the trailhead.
• It's family- and dog-friendly, and a good pairing with nearby hikes — Battle Creek Falls and the Pleasant Grove "G" are close by if you want to make more of the morning.
• You don't have to hike at all to see it. The flag is visible from much of the north valley, so even a drive up the hill gives you glimpses of it blowing in the breeze.

With personal fireworks banned across most of Utah Valley this year, a morning under the flag is exactly the kind of Fourth of July experience that doesn't depend on them. For the rest of the weekend's lineup, see our Fourth of July guide and the Provo events calendar. Details and the current schedule are on the Follow the Flag site.

Good to know

• ✓ Giant 150' x 78' American flag unfurled across a 600-foot canyon wall
• ✓ 'By the Dawn's Early Light' ceremony begins 7:30 a.m. on July 4, lasts about an hour
• ✓ Flag flies July 4 through about July 13 — visible from miles away
• ✓ Short, easy walk (about 400 feet) from the trailhead to stand beneath it
• ✓ Free; a moving, no-fireworks way to mark Independence Day

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