Hiking the Flatiron in Coquihalla Region
Contents
Flatiron Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 11.7Km
Elevation Gain: 940m
Highest Elevation: 1,898m
Average Gradient: 16.07%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Flatiron Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°35’41.3″N 121°07’22.1″W
Disclaimer: Winter hiking (snowshoeing) involves significantly more risk than summer hiking. Hikers should be prepared with appropriate education, training and equipment for all possibilities, including but not limited to avalanches. A mistake such as going off trail, getting lost or injured can be far more dangerous in winter than summer. You are responsible for your own safety, and while I am happy to give my opinion on this website as to the avalanche risk of a specific hike, do not take this as fact and please do your own research. Everybody has different risk tolerances and mine might be different to yours.
Flatiron Overview
The Flatiron is one of the many peaks in the Cascade Mountains encompassing the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area and is one of the more popular hikes in the Coquihalla region.
While the Flatiron itself isn’t the most visually inspiring peak (it’s a wide, flat summit with little prominence), the views you see on the way to and from the summit are quite staggering, especially in winter, particularly thanks to the nearby Needle Peak but also thanks to the wide panoramic views from the summit.
A hike to the Flatiron is a year round option, providing exceptional winter views on mostly simple avalanche safe terrain, and this is how I opted to tackle it though it’s still a worthy summer option no doubt.
During the summer this trail is very popular, though the awe inspiring Needle Peak is the main draw while the Flatiron tends to be less popular. It’s quite possible to summit both Needle Peak and the Flatiron together, though Needle Peak is more of a summer only option as it requires exposed scrambling which would be quite treacherous in winter with snow and ice. This guide will just be covering the hike to the Flatiron.
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Is Flatiron worthwhile?
While the Flatiron itself isn’t the most interesting summit, the views on this trail are incredible, especially of Needle Peak but also of Yak Peak, Markhor Peak and the vast amount of mountain ranges in all directions. I especially loved this hike in the winter as the entire Coquihalla region is so beautiful at this time of year, but it’s also a fantastic summer option.
How difficult is the hike to the Flatiron?
With 940m elevation gained over 11.7km, this hike has an average gradient of over 16%. This is a fairly difficult hike overall, though it’s not the longest and I’d be inclined to say it’s on the lower end of difficult, closer to moderate. A lot of the elevation is spread throughout the hike and it’s never extremely steep in any part, though the beginning and end of the hike is quite steep.
Technically speaking the hike is mostly straightforward, it’s well marked and easy to follow and you shouldn’t have to use hands at any point, though poles were heavily relied upon on the steep snowy banks.
Flatiron Route Information
The hike to the Flatiron begins on the Needle Peak trail just off of Highway 5, check the trailhead coordinates above for the exact location. The beginning of the trail isn’t super obvious but it is marked by a sign so keep an eye out. Once on the trail it is easy to follow.
Immediately the trail enters the forest and begins climbing quite steeply right away. The first kilometer ascends 250m and is really just a grind in the forest with little of interest, covering a few switchbacks along the way. This was rough in snowshoes I won’t lie, but it’s much easier in the summer I’m sure.
After the first kilometer or so the views behind you start to break out, with the ever present Yak Peak on full display, as well as Zopkios Peak and Zupjok Peak. While you’re largely out of the forest now the steep ascent isn’t over. The next 500m or so continue to be a relentless ascent but at least you have nice views from here on out, so remember to keep looking behind you as you climb higher and higher.
After this 500m stretch the gradient levels off for a little while as you gain a ridgeline with your first views of the imposing Needle Peak and Markhor Peak.
For the next kilometer or so the gradient is mellow as you continue in and out of patches of forest with occasional views of Needle Peak to the east and the vast valley to the west. The trail should be obvious and marked by orange markers on the trees.
From the 2.5km mark you will break out of the treeline for the rest of this hike and the views will now be endless. The next 1.2km or so will continue along the ridge line with Needle Peak becoming more and more prominent as you progress. You’ll now be traveling on sheer granite for the most part, unless of course you’re snowshoeing like I was, so be careful with footing.
Shortly you will reach the junction where many hikers will turn left to ascend Needle Peak, but you’ll be continuing forward to the Flatiron, which should now be clearly visible standing above the vast valley to the west and should be marked with a pointed communication tower on the summit. Unfortunately at this point you will note the trail descends quite a lot before re-ascending up the Flatiron.
Continuing forward you’ll begin descending into the sparse treeline. I lost the trail markers here but it wasn’t an issue as the route is very evident. I’m sure in the summer it’s a lot more obvious but in the winter, while breaking trail and with no tracks to follow, I just made my own way up.
As you descend into this col between the Flatiron and Needle Peak the views behind you of Needle Peak get better and better. This is again one of the many times I personally believe the views of the cool looking mountain (Needle Peak) are better than the views on the cool looking mountain. If you want truly great views of Needle Peak, hike the Flatiron. Anyway, rant over!
You’ll descend around 100m from the junction to Needle Peak, before it levels out and remains pretty flat for about 800m as you wander through the sparse treeline with now incredible views to the south and east.
If you’re hiking in the summer you should be able to see a small lake, officially titled “Small Lake”, which you want to head towards. I believe this is quite a pretty lake in the summer so do stop for a break if that’s true. In the winter, no such luck, just a flat patch of snow.
This lake is the end of the flat portion of the col and sits just beneath the summit of the Flatiron. At this point I had to simply figure out the safest way up the Flatiron as it was pretty steep whichever way I went. I don’t think any way is really “wrong” and the summit is blatantly obvious, so figure out the safest way for you. I’m sure in the summer there is a trail to follow. If in doubt, check your map!
It’s just 700m to the summit now, and 100m elevation or so, so in no time you’ll be at the top. You might wonder where the summit actually is as the whole area is vast and flat (hence the name), but most people agree that the summit is where the communication tower is. The views of Needle Peak get better and better as you ascend up the Flatiron, and I feel these were the best views of the day. The actual summit of the Flatiron is so vast and flat it’s kind of hard to get any interesting photos without a large amount of floor and sky in your shot. I didn’t stick around the summit for too long, instead preferring to head back to the better views of Needle Peak for lunch.
After soaking in the views and having a bite to eat, you simply head back the way you came to the car. I actually was curious what it would be like ascending Needle Peak in the winter and began going up on the return leg, but quickly realized it’s way out of my league and headed back down fairly soon.
When should I hike Flatiron?
Most people will want to do this hike in the summer when the weather is perfect and the views are endless. I, however, loved this hike in the winter as it’s one of the few hikes in the Coquihalla region that is relatively risk free for avalanches and offers incredible winter scenes. I also know this trail is extremely popular in the summer but when I went in the winter it was pretty quiet even on a glorious blue sky day.
For summer months I’d stick to July – October. Outside of that you’re likely going to encounter snow so just be prepared in case.
Top Tip
Should I do this hike in summer I’d for sure combine it with Needle Peak as it’s a relatively short hike in itself, but in the winter it’s just not safe for the average hiker.
If tackling this in the winter you’ll definitely want a downloaded map as the trail may not be easy to follow if there are no tracks in the snow. I also highly recommend A LOT of warm layers as this was a damn cold hike that was in shade for large portions thanks to the sun staying behind Needle Peak most of the morning.
