Huachuca Mountains | Granite Peak 8,362’ | Bear Canyon Trail | Sierra Vista Arizona

Geologically speaking, Granite Peak is actually composed of quartz monzonite, not granite. Whatever the case, this hike on the Bear Canyon Trail to Granite Peak is 6½ miles with 2,600’ of elevation gain, unless you forget something on the peak and have to go back and retrieve it. Then it's twice the distance and twice the gain.😂   / @flynnhikes   Fortunately I had a week between my two hikes to the peak.

DIRECTIONS to the trailhead: High clearance is advisable. From FR 61 (Montezuma Canyon Road), turn north onto FR 4774. Drive until you can't go any farther, about a mile, and park. The trail starts at the Miller Peak Wilderness sign.

I'm sure there are lots of Granite Peaks around the U.S. This one is near Bear Saddle in the Huachuca Mountains. To get to Bear Saddle take a look at Leonard Taylor's Trail Map and/or Trail Guide of the Huachucas and find a route that suits you. Use CalTopo or another app to locate the peak for the bushwhack up to it. There's no cell signal along most of the drive to the TH or along the hike. You are very close to the Mexico-U.S. border in this area.

Leonard Taylor's trail guide (2019) and map contain complete, accurate and interesting details about trails in the Huachucas. You can buy them here https://agaveguides.com/ or at Ramsey Canyon Preserve, the Sierra Vista Ranger District Station along Hwy 92 south of Sierra Vista, the Coronado National Memorial, the San Pedro House and the Carr House, on Amazon and at various outdoor stores. Use AllTrails with caution; it contains a lot of inaccurate information about trails in the Huachucas.

Regarding the feather at 4:33, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits the possession of feathers from native North American birds, including owls, unless you have a special permit for educational or research purposes.

Birds heard along this hike, according to the Merlin app: Black-throated gray warbler, Dusky-capped flycatcher, Hutton’s vireo, bridled titmouse, Elegant trogon, Painted redstart, Western tanager, Yellow-eyed junco, Northern flicker, Red-faced warbler, Western flycatcher, White-breasted nuthatch, Flame-colored tanager, Greater peewee, Plumbeous vireo