Gold Star Peak, Inc.

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Gold Star Peak, Inc. We bring veterans and Gold Star families together in nature to support their healing, honor their loved ones, and walk the path of grief and growth, together.

“GOLD STAR PEAK” honors the families of our countries fallen servicemen and women. No one has given more for the nation than the Families of the Fallen.

With the Phase I fireweed field gone for the year, the brilliant golden aspens are picking up right where the fireweed l...
10/12/2026

With the Phase I fireweed field gone for the year, the brilliant golden aspens are picking up right where the fireweed left off.

The colors change, but Gold Star Peak's beauty never stops inspiring. Every season brings a new kind of beauty, a fresh perspective, and another reason to get outside and reconnect with nature.

Gold Star Peak…where every season offers a new beginning.

We’re excited to see the first dusting of snow, what we call termination dust, on Gold Star Peak and the surrounding mou...
10/08/2026

We’re excited to see the first dusting of snow, what we call termination dust, on Gold Star Peak and the surrounding mountaintops.

With the change of seasons comes our winter programming, including hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and snowboarding.

Join us this winter! Thanks to our amazing partners and supporters, the Wounded Warrior Project® makes these adventures possible, honoring and empowering our communities post-9/11 injured service members, veterans, and their families.

Get outside, explore the mountain, and make the most of the season.

And if winter is your time to hibernate, join us for coffee and connection, or attend our free weekly yoga classes to stay active, connected, and moving all season long.

Winter is coming. Come enjoy it with us!

Today is a day we will never forget.After more than a year of research, collaboration, writing, challenges, and countles...
09/30/2026

Today is a day we will never forget.

After more than a year of research, collaboration, writing, challenges, and countless hours invested in building this vision, Gold Star Peak has been approved for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Su***de Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

This grant represents something much bigger than funding.

It represents an opportunity to reach veterans who may be struggling but aren’t walking through the doors of a traditional clinic. It represents meeting veterans where they are…building connection, purpose, community, and pathways toward healing in the outdoors.

And this achievement was never a one person effort.

Our program development team was led by Army combat veteran Nick Dawson, MSW, and included veterans, clinicians, mentors, and professors from the University of Alaska.

They challenged us, questioned us, strengthened the vision, and meticulously reviewed our proposal. They gave their time, knowledge, and experience to help make this possible.

To every person who contributed to this journey, thank you.

After months of waiting, we received the news today…

WE’RE APPROVED!

For Gold Star Peak, this is a major milestone. For the veterans we hope to serve, it’s a beginning.

We know the work ahead will be hard, and we know the mission is bigger than any one organization or one program.

But we also know this, we’re ready to climb, the mission continues.

Climb with us.

Today is Gold Star Mother's and Families Day, a day to honor the families of service members who gave their lives for ou...
09/27/2026

Today is Gold Star Mother's and Families Day, a day to honor the families of service members who gave their lives for our nation.

Our Gold Star Families carry the memory of their loved ones every day, with a strength that humbles us. On the mountain, that memory lives in every dog tag on the summit, in the stories shared along the trail, and in moments like this one, when words simply aren't enough.

We've seen it again and again: when Gold Star Families and veterans come together in nature, grief finds room to breathe and healing begins.

To our Gold Star Mothers, fathers, spouses, children, siblings, and extended families: we see you, we honor you, and we will always climb alongside you.

Your heroes will never be forgotten. ⭐

Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, a day to honor American service members who were prisoners of war or who rema...
09/18/2026

Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, a day to honor American service members who were prisoners of war or who remain missing in action. Here in Alaska, we’re honored to have Mount POW/MIA, a place that honors them all, every day.

The summit of Gold Star Peak is less than half a mile from Mount POW/MIA. The ridgeline connecting the two offers breathtaking views in every direction…mountains stretching to the horizon, deep valleys, and a perspective that makes you stop, take it all in, and appreciate where you are.

But for many of us, that short hike means far more than beautiful scenery. The history of Gold Star Peak and the mission behind it are deeply rooted in Mount POW/MIA. The idea for Gold Star Peak was born there.

Near Mount POW/MIA, the idea took shape to name Gold Star Peak. The loss of four Paratroopers from the then 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Airborne) in Alaska, who became POWs on January 20, 2007, was a powerful reminder of the sacrifice carried by those who serve, and the families left behind to carry their memory.

Those four Paratroopers were:

CPT Brian Freeman
1LT Jacob Fritz
SPC Johnathan Chism
PFC Shawn Falter

Their story, and the stories of all those who have served and sacrificed, became part of the foundation for what Gold Star Peak would ultimately represent...a place to remember the fallen, honor their families, and bring Veterans and Survivors together in the mountains.

All four ultimately lost their lives that night while in captivity.

Their names, their sacrifice, and the families they left behind became part of the foundation of what Gold Star Peak would become. Every climb, every conversation, every name remembered, and every family we welcome to this mountain is connected to that history.

We didn’t simply want to create another place to hike. We wanted to create a place where Gold Star Families, Veterans, Active Duty service members, and supporters could come together ( ) in nature, remember those who never came home, and find connection through a shared experience.

Standing on Gold Star Peak, with Mount POW/MIA just across the ridge, the connection between these two places is impossible to miss.

One mountain holds the history that started this mission, while the other carries that mission forward.

We remember, we honor, we never forget.

Standing next to the Honor Tower, just feet from the growing pile of live bullets, listening to two warriors talk, you c...
09/16/2026

Standing next to the Honor Tower, just feet from the growing pile of live bullets, listening to two warriors talk, you can’t help but feel the contrast.

The struggle to reach the summit and the success of getting there are one thing. But standing there, surrounded by the memories of those who never came home, gives every step deeper meaning.

Although September is recognized as National Su***de Prevention Month, the truth is that every month, every week, and every day should be about connection, checking in, and reminding someone they don’t have to walk alone.

And sometimes, it’s a conversation on a mountaintop, or simply standing beside someone and listening that makes a difference…it’s knowing there are people who understand.

With the Hero Tags softly singing in the breeze, it’s a reminder of those we’ve lost and of our responsibility to look out for those still with us.

This is Connection through Adventure.

Yesterday, we climbed Gold Star Peak with a purpose that went beyond simply reaching the summit.On Patriot Day, the sole...
09/12/2026

Yesterday, we climbed Gold Star Peak with a purpose that went beyond simply reaching the summit.

On Patriot Day, the solemn 25th anniversary of 9-11, we took every step in remembrance of the 2,977 victims of 9-11 and the more than 7,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who gave everything to defend our freedoms since that tragic day.

This mountain is never an easy climb, and perhaps that is fitting. The difficulty gives us time to reflect, to remember, and to understand sacrifice a little more deeply.

Under the bluest of skies, with t-shirt temps, climbing alongside veterans, active-duty service members, and supporters, the weight of what we were there to honor felt especially present.

At the summit, we paused to remember those who never made it home and the countless families who still carry their loss and legacy. We were all taking pictures, texting, or even FaceTiming to share the special moment.

And like clockwork, with warm temps and zero wind, a slight breeze came out of nowhere, passing over us, and the heroes all sang to us. It was an amazing moment, a beautiful sound.

We climb for those who gave everything, for the families who carry their legacy, so their names and stories continue to live on.

We remember, we honor, we will never forget.

09/11/2026

We have not forgotten! 🇺🇸

Some connections are never lost.A few weeks ago, we shared the story of a B-52 aircrew who wore a patch honoring the eig...
09/07/2026

Some connections are never lost.

A few weeks ago, we shared the story of a B-52 aircrew who wore a patch honoring the eight crew members (Active Duty and Civilian) who lost their lives in a crash on June 15, 2026. We had no idea that story would find its way to someone who knew one of the crew members, right here in our community.

Andrea, an Alaskan USAF veteran and former F-15 fighter pilot, shared our story with her friend Kristin, also an Alaskan USAF veteran and former F-16 and A-10 fighter pilot.

For Kristin, the story was deeply personal. One of the fallen airmen, Lt Col(R) Miles Middleton, was her childhood friend.

Miles and his family played an important role in Kristin’s life and were among the people who inspired her to serve in the Air Force and eventually become a fighter pilot herself.

Years ago, both Andrea and Kristin had climbed Gold Star Peak with us to honor another fallen hero. After seeing our story, Kristin reached out again to ask if we could help her create a dog tag for Miles.

We met over coffee, and Kristin shared memories of Miles, his family, and the impact they had on her life. It was a beautiful conversation, but also a difficult one. You could feel how much his loss still meant.

Last week, Kristin, Andrea, and a friend returned to Gold Star Peak. This time, the climb was for Miles.

As they made their way up the mountain, Kristin carried Miles’ dog tag. And when they reached the summit, they stood together to honor a childhood friend, a fallen airman, and a life that had helped inspire Kristin’s own journey of service.

There is something incredibly powerful about that.

A story shared on social media, a friendship that endured across decades, a life that inspired another to serve, and a mountain that gave them a place to remember. We are honored that Gold Star Peak could be part of their journey.

Sometimes, the mountain brings people together, and sometimes, it helps us find our way back to someone we never truly left behind.

Say his name:

Middleton, Miles T.
15 June 2026
Lt Col(R), Torch 11

Address

PO Box 772413
Eagle River, AK
99577

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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