The Best Hikes in Prescott, AZ

Hiking in Prescott, AZ in a must for any traveler. Here are some of the best day hikes in the area that travelers of all ages can enjoy. 

When my dad and I first discussed my coming out to visit him in Prescott this winter, I told him we had to squeeze in as many hikes as possible. Although I live in NYC and consider myself more of a city girl, I love spending time in nature and getting my sweat on. If you knew me in high school, you’ll probably laugh to hear me say that, because I haven’t always been this way. In fact, most of my teenage years were spent avoiding the great outdoors whenever possible (I’m pretty sure I spent the entire summer before eighth grade glued to the TV screen — I’m not kidding!).

But during college my attitude towards nature changed drastically. I think it was being cramped inside a tiny dorm room that did it. After being squished in my freshman year dorm for two whole semesters, something deep inside me started screaming get out of here! Get outside! And now that I live in the concrete jungle my love of the outdoors has multiplied tenfold. But while I love Central Park and visit as often as I can, it’s just not the same thing as being out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but birdsong and trees for miles.

Below are some of my favorite hikes we did in Prescott. I spent two weeks exploring the area with my dad, and this was his second winter in a row living the snow bird life — so if you don’t trust this city slicker’s opinion, trust his. The hikes below are of varying lengths and difficulties, but all can be completed in an afternoon or less.

Granite Mountain

Granite Mountain was easily my favorite Prescott hike. It’s a 6-mile loop that took us about 4 hours to complete (we likely would’ve finished faster had I not stopped so often to take photos!). The first part of the hike takes you through fairly even terrain at the base of the mountain, and then the last two-thirds of the hike takes you up, up, up into the rocks. The trail always hugs the side of the mountain, and there are no rock scrambles, so I think anyone in decent shape can complete this hike and enjoy it.

Of all the hikes on this list, Granite Mountain has arguably the best views — and not just from the peak, either! The entire way up the mountain, you’re treated to stunning views of neighboring mountains, hills, and valleys from different angles. And as you near the summit, you’re greeted by a lovely pine forest, which was a real treat for this nature-starved New Yorker. We hiked Granite Mountain at the end of February and got caught in a small snowstorm at the top, which obscured the view for a good 15 minutes. But once it had passed, we could see for miles.

Although this is a moderate trail, it does take a few hours to complete, so you’d best bring water and snacks with you to be safe!

Spruce Mountain

This is my dad’s favorite hike in Prescott, and it was the very first one we did together. As the name suggests, the Spruce Mountain hike takes you through a heavily forested area and you’re in the trees most of the time. Because of that, this is a great hike to do on warmer days since the trees offer an abundance of shade. I found Spruce Mountain to be a little trickier than Granite Mountain, simply because it has a lot more switchbacks (and they’re fairly steep near the summit). With that said, I enjoyed the challenge, and as it only took 2(ish) hours to complete I’m happy the trail tested me slightly. (Note: it took us less time to complete because the second half of the trail was closed due to logging work in the area).

As a word of warning, the summit of Spruce Mountain is initially a bit of a letdown. The trail ends at a picnic site with absolutely no view whatsoever, but if you poke around a bit to the left of the site you’ll find a path leading up to a fire tower. Take that path for the most spectacular view. From here, you’ll be able to see the San Francisco peaks and Flagstaff in the distance. It’s really windy at the top, so be careful!

Peavine Trail hikes

Initially, my dad and I were going to bike the Peavine Trail. But then the area got a crap ton of snow, so we opted to walk it instead to be safe (biking on ice is never a good idea, in my experience). I’m so happy we wound up walking, because we stumbled upon a string of hiking trails that took us right through the Granite Dells and they had the most incredible views of Watson Lake.

What I particularly loved about hiking in the Peavine Trail area is that we were able to scramble up the red rocks and felt like we had the run of the place. (I feel the need to note that we weren’t going off the trails and wreaking havoc — the paths take you up to the top of many rocks!). I think hikers of all ages and skill levels would enjoy hiking amidst the Granite Dells. Although not too challenging, you’re treated to amazing views and you’re able to completely escape civilization for 90 minutes or so. If you follow the hiking paths from the start of the Peavine (they begin right around where the red rocks start popping out of the ground), they’ll take you close to the end of the trail. So you can either hike your way back the way you came, or hop onto the Peavine Trail and walk back (which is the much faster route).

Thumb Butte

Although I had fun hiking up Thumb Butte, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking to really stretch their legs. Much of the Thumb Butte trail is paved, which I’m assuming is to protect the trail since it’s so steep. Thumb Butte took us maybe an hour to complete, but my butt and thighs were burning by the end of it (seriously, the path up is like being on the StairMaster for 30 minutes straight). Once you “summit” Thumb Butte, make your way around the backside for a better view. You’ll see a bench and an overlook area, so it should be fairly easy to spot.

If you’re not much of a hiker, but want to squeeze in a little nature on your way through Prescott, this is the hike for you. You may begin to question your life choices as you huff and puff your way up, but you’ll be happy you completed this short but sweet hike.

Tell me: Would you plan a vacation that’s mostly centered around hiking?

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