"I saw the movie a few yeas back, Karyn was excited about it. We'll I needed to go get mail and going over the mountain was much faster and shorter. We'll no it was NOT. 35 mph, and switchbacks and the longest truck allowed on the road I had just put a spinner on the wheel for backing up the camper and turning g tight corners. I had to use it, and had to stop at the mormoreal, I was dizzy.after stealing my legs let the dog out it was a very well done tribute, I was pleasantly, surprised. I could not walk up the steps, or the mount trail. Maybe next fall."

Jeff Martin

"I visited the Granite Mountain Hotshots memorial park on my way back to Phoenix from Flagstaff arriving at about 1pm. I had read a little about the experience so I was prepared for the hike out (more on that at the end). The parking area has information about the hotshots crew & each individual crew member as well as information about the trail. This is probably as far as many people make it into this park judging by the others that I saw come and go, which is absolutely fine. I met one person who stopped just to ring the bell located in the parking lot, telling me that he stops to do this every time he passes by. The experience of the hike into the Weaver Mountains out to the location where the hotshot made their final stand is both parts somber and peaceful. The trail starts immediately after a set of stairs from the parking lot, and located every 600 ft for the next two miles are plaques for each firefighter, 19 in total. At the end of two miles, you will reach the overlook, which looks down upon the sight where the hotshots passed away. For me, seeing this site, which is a ring of monuments surrounding the location of their final moments on earth, was a very emotional experience to say the least. There is a cross for the location where each of hotshots was recovered. The memorial is only another 0.7 miles down the hill from the overlook, but when I was about half way down, I stopped and felt that I was close enough. From the overlook down, there are displays detailing the story of how the hotshots ended up at this location and how they were overtaken by the fire, which puts the experience into perspective. One thing that shocked me was how close to the town of Yarnell the hotshots were; they were only 600 yards from the closest structure. After the long hike to the memorial, I was surprised that it was this close to the town.
Regarding the hike itself, it would definitely be a challenge for the average person and should be taken seriously. Don’t get me wrong… anyone in decent shape should be able to do it, but it is not easy, especially if it is warm outside. It was 94 the day that I made the hike, but there was a steady wind that helped keep me cool. The first two miles is 100% uphill, no exaggeration. Most of this (about 1.75 miles) is fairly steady switchbacks on good quality trail, but the next quarter mile is steeper with some decent rocks to hike around/over. The total elevation gain is over 1200 ft, so you should be sure to have the right hiking gear and plenty of water. Given the remote location of this park in the desert, at times it feels as though you are very far from any civilization. The final half mile to the overlook is relatively flat, and the views from the top are absolute stunning. Then, the final descent to the site is another 0.7 miles and about 700 vertical feet. As I mentioned above, the end of the trail is so close to Yarnell that you might wonder why the park creators made the trail start in such a remote location. My thinking is that this process allows us to better understand, just slightly and very briefly, how difficult it is to be a hotshot moving through this unforgiving terrain. These men died doing what they loved, which is more than most of us can say. The fact that they met their end in the middle of nowhere protecting this tiny town made me feel sadness, but at the same time, happiness in knowing that there are still people like the Granite Mountain 19 looking out for us."

John Payne

"A wonderful tribute to the Granite mountain hotshots. The hike was beautiful, the memorials along the way were heartfelt, the benches along the way were very nice. The tribute wall before going to the fatality site was very emotional. Try to contribute to the wall when you go. The fatality site is a beautiful tribute. Everyone should go pay their respects to this memorial."

Cody P