Top 3 Natural Monuments in Granite Mountain Wilderness

With mountain views, shade, and rock formations just off the side of the path, it's no wonder why this trail is so popular. The trail circumnavigates Little Granite Mountain and offers awesome views of the valley, Little Granite Mountain, Granite Mountain (off in the distance), and a number of different natural rock features. This is a popular trail that ends at the wilderness boundary.

The trail circumnavigating Little Granite Mountain offers awesome views of the valley, Little Granite Mountain, Granite Mountain (off in the distance), and a number of different natural rock features. This is a popular trail that can easily be turned into a loop.

At 7,628 feet, Granite Mountain is the high point within the Granite Mountain Wilderness. Covered in cliffs, bluffs, and ravines, the mountain is a towering structure that can be seen from a bunch of different areas around Yavapai County. From the top, you get endless views of the lower peaks and valleys towards Prescott.

The Granite Mountain Trail is a rough and tough wilderness trail that climbs from Granite Basin Lake up to the top of the Granite Mountain Wilderness. There is some shade and water along the trail, but once you really start climbing and getting close to the summit, the trail is completely exposed with no water sources in sight, so plan accordingly.

...the larger trees are given more room to grow. In 2004, live trees and beetle-killed trees were removed from this area. Prior to the logging operation, high tree densities shaded the forest floor, hindering the growth of ground vegetation such as grasses and forbs. After the thinning, sunlight, water, and nutrients become available for a variety of plant species. The grasses and forbs provide food and various habitats for many wildlife species, and improve overall ecosystem health by holding soil in place. Through thinning of trees, managers can reduce the likelihood of future bark beetle outbreaks and severe wildfire and create a more naturally balanced landscape with healthy trees."

"Managing for Forest Health By Prescott National Forest Due to fire suppression and extended periods of drought, today's forests and woodlands exist in an unnatural state. When trees are stressed due to overcrowding and drought, a tree's natural defense mechanism (sap production) becomes weakened making the trees susceptible to attacks from bark beetles. During 2002 and 2003, the combination of drought and high tree densities resulted in a bark beetle epidemic that killed approximately 18 million Ponderosa Pines across 662,000 acres in Arizona. Low intensity fire, insects, and disease arenature's way of maintaining a healthy forest. However, today's forests with high tree densities are prone to severe wildfires that threaten communities as well as damage wildlife habitat, soils, and vegetation. Forest managers mimic nature by thinning trees to restore a more natural condition including reduced hazardous fuels. Also, by removing some of the smaller trees in the landscape,...

The Granite Mountain Trail is a rough and tough wilderness trail that climbs from Granite Basin Lake up to the top of the Granite Mountain Wilderness. There is some shade and water along the trail, but once you really start climbing and getting close to the summit, the trail is completely exposed with no water sources in sight, so plan accordingly.

Wikipedia entry on Granite Mountain Wikipedia Entry: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite_Mountain_(Arizona) Prescott National Forest Granite Mountain Trail #261: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/recarea/?recid=67547&actid=50