Hike Spruce Mountain Prescott National Forest, AZ

Directions

Route Map

Download GPX

Spruce Mountain GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Add to Cart

View Cart

Oct 9, 2021 — Spruce Mountain is a nice little peak just south of Prescott, Arizonta. It seems to be most popularly accessed via the Groom Creek Trail, which is what I did. You could make this hike into a loop via the South Spruce Ridge Trail, but the forest kind of all looked the same to me and I decided to just make it an out-and-back. The trail is easy to follow and well-marked. Overall the hike has a really nice light grade as it slowly makes its way up to the peak via its west slope. Along the way there are some little overlooks into the surrounding forest. A few switchbacks toward the summit lead up slightly steeper terrain. The final push to the lookout tower at Spruce Mountain's summit follows a short section of dirt road. The views are really nice, Granite Mountain and Mount Union poking out in the distance.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Spruce Mountain

7696 ft

969 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Groom Creek Trail.

Winding, pleasant hike through the forest.

View back.

Slow ascent for the first significant portion of the hike.

Switchback along the trail.

View back as I continue ascending.

Spruce Mountain's south ridge visible ahead.

Nice viewpoints along the trail, but mostly it's just a forested walk.

Ascending a steeper section about 2/3 of the way up.

View back.

The trail switchbacks up this powerline cut for a bit.

More siwtchbacks.

Final steep bit of slightly steeper trail leading to just below the summit. Just ahead I reached a dirt road, where I took a left to reach the summit.

Spruce Mountain ahead.

Spruce Mountain fire tower.

View from Spruce Mountain.

Granite Mountain in the distance.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!