Prescott National Forest

Prescott National Forest wraps around the town on three sides, covering nearly 1.3 million acres of pine forest, grasslands, and desert transition zone. The elevation range — from 914 to over 2,400 metres — creates a variety of ecosystems and a long hiking season compared to the lower desert cities.

The most accessible trailheads are along Thumb Butte Road, just west of town, where the Thumb Butte Trail climbs to a distinctive granite formation with views over Prescott and the surrounding mountains. The Granite Basin Recreation Area, about 12 kilometres northwest, offers additional hiking around a small lake with Granite Mountain as a backdrop.

Mountain biking is popular on the network of trails around the Goldwater Lake area, south of town. The forest also holds several small campgrounds for those who want to extend their stay.

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Prescott sits at 1,600 metres, high enough that ponderosa pines replace the saguaro cactus of the lower desert. The town is almost entirely surrounded by the national forest, meaning that a 15-minute drive in almost any direction puts you into woodland trails. In summer, when Phoenix and Tucson are cooking at 40°C, Prescott's pine-cooled trails draw Arizonans from across the state.