It is believed to be the largest and oldest of its kind in the world.
Road to granite mountain juniper.
If you hike in from contreras road add 1 6 mi.
But for the intervention of the hotshots it might today be nothing more than a lifeless charred trunk victim of one fire too many.
Look up the hill and you will see a gate.
Our astronomy program has been in operation since 2007 and continues to grow with each exciting event.
The 20 man granite mountain hotshots team was aware of the ancient alligator juniper that grew in view of both mountains for centuries.
It sounds like the kind of place that fred and barney would take wilma and betty for a romantic weekend.
Drove to trailhead 38 which made it a 3 mile roundtrip hike.
There is a path around the gate to the right.
Especially if you re attracted to wilderness areas that can be reached in a fiat 500.
Access and camping the side road to granite mountain branches north off the iron springs road 4 5 miles from prescott town center this enters the prescott national forest but unlike most such land free camping is not permitted though there is a nice nfs campsite 18 per night in 2020 next to the road set in open pine forest between rounded boulders and patches of coarse clean granitic.
From phx i 10 az 51 2 hours 18 mins from tuc jct 1 10 grant 3 hours 46 mins.
There is a sign for granite basin road.
At the end of this trail is the giant alligator juniper tree that the granite mountain hotshots saved from the doce fire on june 18th 2013.
Straight to the juniper is a 3 2 mi 375 aeg round trip hike.
Here you are on trail 38.
2011 09 16 garry milo there is no sign for fr374.
Hiking to the massive 2000 year old alligator juniper tree near prescott az.
Revered and respected that tree stood in the line of fire.
You ll see a brown marker for trail 38 and a wooden sign pointing out the direction for upper pasture trail 38 junction white rock springs trail 39 and junction little granite mountain trail 37.
But granite mountain is nowhere near bedrock city and time spent there is more about adventure than amore.
Visiting the juniper during a loop hike of upper pasture trail 38 little granite mountain trail 37 and white rock spring trail 39 is 6 6 mi.
Once you turn on to it the fr374 sign is a few hundred feet down the road.
Follow the road about 3 miles back to the trailhead parking area at the end of the loop road.
Twelve days later on june 30th 2013 19 of the 20 hotshots died fighting the yarnell hill fire.