USFS · Arizona

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...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Granite Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateArizona
Size9,808 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point34.6462, -112.5693
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Granite Mountain Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.21 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.28 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.96 inches of precipitationApril: 0.47 inches of precipitationMay: 0.47 inches of precipitationJune: 0.35 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.87 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.46 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.27 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.83 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.69 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.99 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 39.7°F averageFebruary: 42.3°F averageMarch: 47.8°F averageApril: 53.5°F averageMay: 62.0°F averageJune: 71.7°F averageJuly: 76.5°F averageAugust: 74.8°F averageSeptember: 68.7°F averageOctober: 57.8°F averageNovember: 47.1°F averageDecember: 38.9°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Prescott Love Fld, 8 miles from the center point at 5,042 feet, station USW00023184 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year.

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

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 4 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 1

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.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 21 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Little Granite4.2
Granite Mountain4.1
Cedar Springs2.7
Clark Spring2.3
Upper Pasture2.2
Baby Granite2
White Rock Spring1.7
Tin Trough Springs1
American Ranch0.5

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Register listings within 15 miles · 59 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

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?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Alto Pit Ohv Campground, 1 miles out. 4 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Granite Mountain Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 mountain climbing. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Granite Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.646, -112.569. Tuzigoot National Monument is 30 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Granite Mountain Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 23 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

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?

59 National Register 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.