Juniper Mesa
- 11.7 mi
- round trip
- 947 ft
- climb
- 7,069 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Is Juniper Mesa open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Prescott National Forest. It doesn't name Juniper Mesa, so check the source for the area it covers (5 listed).
Prescott National Forest Pile Burning Planned Through October
Agency closure covering Prescott National Forest · USFS · Prescott National Forest
Prescott National Forest Pile Burning through August
Agency closure covering Prescott National Forest · USFS · Prescott National Forest
NFS Road 354 Closure Order #03-07-26-02
Agency closure covering Prescott National Forest · Order 03-07-26-02 · USFS · Prescott National Forest
Juniper Fire (BLM)
Agency closure covering Prescott National Forest · USFS · Prescott National Forest
Orchard Fire
Agency closure covering Prescott National Forest · USFS · Prescott National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Prescott National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Juniper Mesa is a hard hike in Arizona's Prescott National Forest, within the Chino Valley Ranger District. The trail is about 11.7 miles long, an out-and-back that climbs roughly 950 feet from its low point of 6,159 feet to a high of 7,069 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route carries horses, so the trail is suitable for riders, but it does not allow bikes. The most comfortable stretch for a visit tends to run from late spring into early fall. Typical averages from the nearby Williams weather station, at a similar elevation, show May highs around 71°F and October highs around 67°F, while July and August bring the most wet days of the year. The trail stays open all year, and other hikes sit within a few miles. Military Trail and Pine Creek are each about 1.6 miles away, Juniper Springs is about 2 miles off, and Oaks and Willows is about 3.2 miles away.
- Military TrailHiking1.6 mi
- Pine CreekHiking1.6 mi
- Juniper SpringsHiking2 mi
- Oaks and WillowsHiking3.2 mi
- Apache CreekHiking4 mi
- Bull SpringHiking4.2 mi
- Upper Graver WashHiking4.7 mi
- Happy CampHiking4.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Military TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- Juniper SpringsHiking · ~3 min drive
- Oaks and WillowsHiking · ~6 min drive
- Cottonwood Mountain TrailHiking · ~19 min drive
- Pine CreekHiking · ~3 min drive
- Military TrailHiking · ~11 min drive
- Apache CreekHiking · ~7 min drive
- Coldwater TrailHiking · ~25 min drive
- Military TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- 7 Up To Hyde Mountain TrailHiking · ~16 min drive
Also worth it near here
- Franks TankLake fishing · ~23 min drive
- Big Chino WashCanoeing · ~37 min drive
AlmostaMountain biking · ~41 min drivePhoto: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Historic Route 66Scenic drive · ~42 min drive
Granite MountainSummit · ~46 min drivePhoto: Benjamin Cody, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit Juniper Mesa
Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
47° / 21°
6 wet · 4 snow
Feb
49° / 23°
6 wet · 4 snow
Mar
56° / 27°
6 wet · 3 snow
Apr
62° / 31°
4 wet · 2 snow
May
71° / 39°
4 wet
Jun
82° / 48°
4 wet
Jul
84° / 54°
10 wet
Aug
82° / 52°
12 wet
Sep
76° / 47°
7 wet
Oct
67° / 36°
4 wet
Nov
56° / 28°
4 wet · 2 snow
Dec
47° / 21°
6 wet · 3 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Williams, AZ, 42.5 mi away at 6,909 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Route details
- Distance
- 11.7 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 947 ft
- Starts at
- TR 3 & 100 TRAILHEAD (about 6,159 ft)
- Summit
- 7,071 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 4.5 hours
Getting there
Park at TR 3 & 100 TRAILHEAD.
Season
Season: Year-round.
Questions about this route
How long is the Juniper Mesa on Juniper Mesa?
About 11.7 mi round trip from TR 3 & 100 TRAILHEAD (about 6,159 ft).
How much elevation gain is on the Juniper Mesa?
About 947 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Juniper Mesa?
It is rated hard.
Where does the Juniper Mesa start?
TR 3 & 100 TRAILHEAD (about 6,159 ft).
How long does the Juniper Mesa take?
About 4.5 hours round trip.
When is the best time for the Juniper Mesa?
Year-round.
Conditions and forecast on Juniper Mesa
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
