Granite Mountain Wilderness
Ragged boulders, some as big as a house, stack on top of each other to an elevation of 7,626 feet in Granite Mountain Wilderness, an area about eight miles away from Prescott. From the summit of Granite Mountain itself you can look across the entire city of Prescott, as well as the towns of Chino Valley and Skull Valley. On southern slopes chaparral (a community of plants including shrub live oak, mountain mahogany, manzanita, and lemonade berry bush) dominates with scattered stands of pinion and juniper. On northern slopes you'll also find pinion, juniper, and some pine and oak higher up. Mule deer and javelina inhabit the area, along with an occasional mountain lion, bobcat, badger, fox, skunk, coyote, rabbit, and smaller rodents.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Arizona |
| Size | 9,808 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 34.65° N, 112.57° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 mountain Climbing. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miGranite Mountain (Climbing) ↗Mountain Climbing
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 21 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Little Granite | 4.2 | |
| Granite Mountain | 4.1 | |
| Cedar Springs | 2.7 | |
| Clark Spring | 2.3 | |
| Upper Pasture | 2.2 | |
| Baby Granite | 2 | |
| White Rock Spring | 1.7 | |
| Tin Trough Springs | 1 | |
| American Ranch | 0.5 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 6.5 miHassayampa Historic District ↗Prescott, AZ
- 6.7 miBrinkmeyer House ↗Prescott, AZ
- 6.7 miRobinson, A. W., Building ↗Prescott, AZ
- 6.7 miToltec Lodge ↗Prescott, AZ
- 6.7 miHill, Samuel, Hardware Company Warehouse ↗Prescott, AZ
- 6.8 miHill House ↗Prescott, AZ
- 6.8 miGardner, James I., Store ↗Prescott, AZ
- 6.8 miIron Turbine Windmill ↗Prescott, AZ
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Arizona
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Granite Mountain Wilderness?
9,808 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Granite Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Granite Mountain Wilderness in?
Arizona.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Granite Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Granite Mountain Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Granite Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.646° N, 112.569° W. Tuzigoot National Monument is 30 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Granite Mountain Wilderness?
Tuzigoot National Monument (30 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Granite Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 59 listings within 15 miles, including Hassayampa Historic District and Brinkmeyer House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.