We pilgrimage through the beautiful Weaver mountains to the spot where 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots sacrificed their lives on June 30, 2013, battling the now infamous Yarnell Hill fire. The experience is both somber, and beautiful, and will leave a lasting impression on all who visit.

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For today’s video, we visit the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial in Yarnell, Arizona. We provide a look at the parking lot available and the bronze Hotshot statue located at the trailhead. We then hiked the trail, stopping to look at the 19 metal memorial plaques honoring each of the 19 fallen Hotshots, take in the sweeping views of the Weaver Mountain area and finally head down to the Fatality Site where a moving memorial has been placed.

The Granite Mountain Hotshots were a group of highly-trained elite handcrew of firefighters within the Prescott Fire Department whose purpose was to fight wildfires often in remote areas. Due to their extensive training, they are often in charge of burning out unburned fuels between the main fire and their line as well as creating fire breaks.

On June 28th, 2013, dry lightning struck the Weaver Mountains near Yarnell, Arizona creating a wildfire that quickly grew in size due to ongoing drought. The Granite Mountain Hotshots were assigned to the fire the following day. On June 30th, the Hotshots were working the fire when thunderclouds began to develop. The superintendent sent out one of the team members to serve as lookout. It would be later that afternoon that conditions changed and began to blow the fire straight towards Yarnell. A decision was made to make an effort to protect the town, however, the fire would soon trap them. At 4:41pm June, 30, 2013, the last transmission from Granite Mountain Hotshots was made indicating that they were in trouble. A clearing was made with their equipment and fire shelters were deployed. Only one member, the lookout, survived, having been picked up by the superintendent of another Hotshot crew earlier when his position was overtaken by the fire.

The Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Park is located two miles south of Yarnell on Highway 89. The park opened to the public on November 30, 2016 and is the first memorial state park in Arizona. Land measuring 320 acres was purchased by Arizona State Parks for the purpose of serving as a tribute to the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots members that were lost in the Yarnell Hill Fire. The park admission is free.

A small parking lot for 12 cars and 4 motorcycles is available. Should parking be full, there is a shuttle that runs 8am to 5pm Friday through Sunday and picks up from the Yarnell Fire Department. There are no restrooms or trash facilities available, however, portable toilets are available for visitors. The park is open from sunrise to sunset seven days a week. Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail but must be picked up after.

The trail is a 7 mile out and back trail that gains about 1200 feet in elevation with a 5-8% grade. Hikers will start with a 2.8 mile uphill climb from the trailhead to the Observation Deck. At the Observation Deck, visitors can look out at the Weaver Mountains, leave mementos or messages at the Tribute Wall, and look down at the Fatality Site. The hike from the Observation Deck to the Fatality Site is another 0.75 miles. 19 gabion baskets linked by chains and a memorial flagpole stand at the Fatality Site signifying their bond as a team. There are a number of benches available to sit, rest and pay your respects before heading back to the trailhead.

Hikers can expect to spend about 4 hours on the trails if hiking the full length. The trail is rated as moderate to difficult. We found this to be accurate during our visit.


VIDEO FILMED: 05/23/2020

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⚪ Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Park - https://azstateparks.com/hotshots
⚪ Directions to Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Park - https://goo.gl/maps/pr726ctVqDbsei3R8

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Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! Join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American Southwest. We tour both natural and man-made attractions - National Parks as well as theme parks.

Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking and day trips as well as campground reviews, and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American Southwest. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!