Mount Davis
Mount Davis is the second-highest peak in the Bradshaw Mountains of central Arizona, rising to approximately 7,906 feet (2,410 meters) in Yavapai County. Located south of Prescott within Prescott National Forest, the forested summit stands immediately northeast of Mount Union, the highest point in the Bradshaw range.
Modern LiDAR measurements give Mount Davis an elevation of 7,905.8 feet, slightly higher than the 7,897-foot figure found on older topographic maps. The mountain has approximately 306 feet (93 meters) of topographic prominence and just 0.65 mile of isolation because higher terrain rises almost immediately toward Mount Union.
Its Nearest Higher Neighbor is Mount Union.
Mount Davis is not a conventional trail summit. Trails and old roads approach the mountain closely, but the final climb generally involves a short section of off-trail hiking through the high-elevation forests of the Bradshaws.
⚡ Fast Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Continent | North America |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Yavapai County |
| Nearest City | Prescott |
| Mountain Range | Bradshaw Mountains |
| National Forest | Prescott National Forest |
| Elevation | 7,906 ft / 2,410 m |
| Older mapped elevation | Approx. 7,897 ft / 2,407 m |
| Prominence | 306 ft / 93 m |
| Isolation | 0.65 mi / 1.04 km |
| Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN) | Mount Union |
| Key Col Elevation | Approx. 7,600 ft / 2,317 m |
| Coordinates | 34.42554° N, 112.39780° W |
| USGS Topographic Map | Groom Creek |
| Land Manager | U.S. Forest Service |
| Typical Summit Access | Trails/forest roads followed by off-trail hiking |
| Rank in Bradshaw Mountains | 2nd highest |
🏔️ Overview
Mount Davis occupies the high heart of the Bradshaw Mountains just south of Prescott.
At approximately 7,906 feet, it is surpassed in the range only by neighboring Mount Union, which reaches about 7,982 feet.
Peakbagger’s current Bradshaw Mountains ranking places the highest principal summits as:
- Mount Union — 7,982 ft
- Mount Davis — 7,906 ft
- Mount Tritle — 7,797 ft
- Spruce Mountain — 7,699 ft
- Towers Mountain — 7,631 ft
Despite ranking second, Mount Davis receives considerably less attention than Mount Union or nearby Spruce Mountain.
There is no lookout tower or developed summit attraction. Instead, Mount Davis offers a relatively quiet high-country peak characterized by ponderosa pine, mixed forest, rocky slopes, old mining-country trails, and broad views across the central Arizona highlands.
📍 Where Is Mount Davis?
Mount Davis is located in Yavapai County, Arizona, south of Prescott.
The mountain lies within the Bradshaw Ranger District of Prescott National Forest and forms part of a tight concentration of high peaks surrounding the headwaters of the Hassayampa River.
Nearby summits include:
- Mount Union
- Spruce Mountain
- Mount Tritle
- Moscow Peak
- Yankee Doodle Peak
Farther northwest, Granite Mountain rises beyond Prescott.
The entire area is substantially higher and cooler than the Sonoran Desert country farther south toward Phoenix.
📏 Elevation
Modern LiDAR measurements place Mount Davis at 7,905.8 feet, normally rounded to 7,906 feet (2,410 meters).
The U.S. Geological Survey’s older Groom Creek topographic mapping listed the summit at approximately 7,897 feet.
That explains why older books, websites, and hiking guides may continue to describe Mount Davis as a 7,897-foot or roughly 7,900-foot peak.
LiDAR provides much finer elevation measurements by using laser pulses to model the terrain surface.
For Mountain Field Guide, 7,906 feet is the best current figure.
📐 Topographic Prominence
Mount Davis has approximately 306 feet (93 meters) of clean topographic prominence.
Its key col lies at roughly 7,600 feet.
This relatively modest prominence reflects the mountain’s close connection with Mount Union.
Although Mount Davis looks and feels like an independent summit when approached from surrounding valleys, only a relatively shallow saddle separates it from higher terrain.
That is why it ranks far below mountains such as Granite Mountain in prominence despite being nearly 300 feet higher in absolute elevation.
🧭 Nearest Higher Neighbor: Mount Union
Mount Davis’s Nearest Higher Neighbor is Mount Union, immediately southwest.
Mount Union reaches approximately 7,982 feet (2,433 meters) and is:
- The highest peak in the Bradshaw Mountains
- The highest point in Yavapai County
- The highest natural point in Prescott National Forest
Only about 76 vertical feet separate the summits.
Mount Davis’s topographic isolation is therefore just 0.65 mile (1.04 kilometers).
The relationship between the two mountains is unusually close, and hikers often combine Mount Davis and Mount Union in the same outing.
The local topographic chain continues northward through the surrounding mountains:
Spruce Mountain → Mount Davis → Mount Union
Spruce Mountain’s own Nearest Higher Neighbor is Mount Davis.
🏔️ Second-Highest Peak in the Bradshaw Mountains
Mount Davis is the second-highest principal summit in the Bradshaw Mountains.
The Bradshaws extend through central Arizona south of Prescott, separating portions of the Agua Fria and Hassayampa watersheds.
The range contains a surprisingly large concentration of peaks above 7,000 feet.
Peakbagger gives the range an approximate north-south extent of 61 miles, with Mount Union forming its highest point.
Mount Davis occupies one of the range’s highest and coolest areas, where forest replaces the chaparral and desert vegetation found at lower elevations.
🌲 A Forested Arizona Summit
Mount Davis looks very different from Arizona’s famous desert mountains.
Its slopes are dominated by high-country vegetation, especially ponderosa pine.
Depending on elevation, aspect, moisture, and recent disturbance, the broader upper Bradshaws can also support:
- Douglas-fir
- White fir
- Gambel oak
- Aspen
- Pinyon pine
- Juniper
This forest cover makes summer conditions considerably cooler than those in lower Arizona.
It also means views from the exact summit can be partly screened by trees.
Nearby rocky openings and ridges often provide better panoramas than the highest point itself.
🪨 Geology
Mount Davis stands within one of the most geologically complicated mountain ranges in Arizona.
The Bradshaw Mountains expose extraordinarily old Precambrian rocks, many formed more than a billion years ago.
Historic U.S. Geological Survey mapping of the Mount Union district described granitic rock extending through Mount Davis and Mount Union, together with surrounding schists, diorite, amphibolite, quartz veins, and other ancient rocks.
These rocks record a long sequence of geological events that included:
- Volcanic activity
- Sedimentation
- Intrusion of magma
- Metamorphism
- Folding and faulting
- Uplift
- Erosion
The result is not a simple volcanic cone or isolated granite monolith.
Instead, Mount Davis forms part of an ancient mountain landscape assembled from multiple rock units and repeatedly transformed over immense spans of geologic time.
⛏️ Mining History
The Bradshaw Mountains played an important role in Arizona’s early mining history.
Gold discoveries near Prescott during the 1860s attracted prospectors to the range, and mining districts eventually developed throughout the Bradshaws.
Gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and other minerals were extracted from numerous mines.
The high country around Mount Davis and Mount Union lies near the historic Hassayampa Mining District.
Archival federal mining records show claims around Mount Union and Mount Davis dating to at least the late nineteenth century.
Old roads, prospects, mine workings, ruins, and other traces of this era remain scattered throughout the surrounding forest.
Visitors should never enter abandoned mine shafts or tunnels. Old workings can contain unstable rock, vertical drops, bad air, wildlife, and hidden openings.
📜 Why Is It Called Mount Davis?
A long-repeated local story connects the names Mount Davis and Mount Union to the American Civil War.
According to the account preserved by Arizona Highways, Confederate sympathizers among miners working in the Bradshaw Mountains reportedly named Mount Davis for Confederate President Jefferson Davis around 1864.
Union sympathizers then supposedly responded by naming the slightly higher neighboring mountain Mount Union.
The story neatly explains why the two adjacent peaks carry politically opposed names.
However, it is best treated as a local historical tradition rather than an unquestionably documented naming event. Arizona Highways itself describes the account as a local tale.
Whatever its precise origin, both names were well established in the Bradshaw mining country by the late nineteenth century.
🥾 Hiking Mount Davis
Mount Davis is primarily a peakbagging destination rather than a developed hiking summit.
There is no maintained trail that simply ends at the highest point.
Instead, several trails and old roads in the Mount Union–Potato Patch area bring hikers relatively close to the peak.
Common approaches use portions of:
- Dandrea Trail #285
- Yankee Doodle Trail #284
- Isabella Trail #377
- Groom Creek-area trails and forest roads
The final approach to Mount Davis generally involves leaving the established route and hiking off-trail through forested terrain.
Because several approach combinations are possible, mileage varies considerably.
🥾 A Shorter Mount Davis Route
HikeArizona documents a commonly used Mount Davis route of approximately:
| Route Fact | Approximate Figure |
|---|---|
| Round-trip distance | 3.6 miles |
| Elevation gain | 1,000 ft |
| Trailhead elevation | Approx. 6,958 ft |
| Typical time | Around 2 hours |
| Route type | Trail/road plus off-trail summit approach |
These figures describe one route rather than an official standardized summit trail.
Forest-road access, parking locations, closures, and route choices can alter both distance and elevation gain.
The final summit climb remains an off-trail undertaking.
🥾 Dandrea Trail #285
Dandrea Trail #285 is one of the most useful routes for reaching the high saddle region between Mount Davis and Mount Union.
Hikers commonly approach the area from around Potato Patch and follow the old trail or road toward the upper Bradshaws.
Trip reports describe Dandrea as rocky in places and shared with motorized recreation.
From the high saddle area, hikers can turn north toward Mount Davis or south toward Mount Union.
Because trails, roads, private-property boundaries, and access conditions can change, a current Prescott National Forest map is important.
🥾 Combining Mount Davis and Mount Union
Mount Davis and Mount Union are close enough that experienced hikers frequently climb both in a single trip.
Once the high saddle between them is reached, Mount Davis lies to the northeast and Mount Union to the southwest.
The two peaks offer very different summit experiences.
Mount Union has:
- A fire lookout
- Communication facilities
- Road access near the summit
- Broad developed clearings
Mount Davis is considerably quieter and more natural.
Its final approach involves forest travel rather than simply following a road to developed summit infrastructure.
For peakbaggers, that contrast can make Mount Davis the more interesting of the pair.
🌲 Connection to Spruce Mountain
Spruce Mountain lies north of Mount Davis.
At approximately 7,699 feet, Spruce Mountain is the fourth-highest principal peak in the Bradshaw Mountains.
Its Nearest Higher Neighbor is Mount Davis.
The mountains can be connected through a longer network of trails incorporating Groom Creek Loop Trail #307, Isabella Trail #377, and Dandrea Trail #285.
Some ambitious hikers combine:
Spruce Mountain → Mount Davis → Mount Union
into a single long outing.
Such routes can exceed a dozen miles and involve substantial elevation gain, so they are very different from a simple Mount Davis out-and-back.
🌄 Summit Views
Mount Davis is heavily forested, but openings around the summit and nearby ridges provide broad views across central Arizona.
Depending on visibility and exact vantage point, hikers can look toward:
- Mount Union
- Spruce Mountain
- Prescott
- The Sierra Prieta
- Granite Mountain
- Mingus Mountain and the Black Hills
- Other Bradshaw summits
Some hikers report that rocky areas just away from the highest summit provide even better views than the summit itself.
The combination of forest and scattered openings gives Mount Davis a more intimate high-country character than peaks with completely exposed summits.
🦌 Wildlife
Prescott National Forest supports a diverse collection of wildlife because its elevations range from desert and chaparral to cool mountain forests.
Animals that may occur in the upper Bradshaw Mountains include:
- Elk
- Mule deer
- White-tailed deer
- Black bears
- Mountain lions
- Bobcats
- Coyotes
- Wild turkeys
- Abert’s squirrels
- Hawks
- Owls
- Woodpeckers
Wild turkeys are particularly at home in the forested country around Groom Creek and the upper Bradshaws.
Wildlife should be observed from a distance, and food should never be intentionally left for animals.
🌿 Vegetation & Ecosystems
Prescott National Forest occupies an ecological transition between Arizona’s central deserts and the forested Colorado Plateau.
Across the forest, vegetation ranges from:
- Sonoran Desert
- Grassland
- Chaparral
- Pinyon-juniper woodland
- Ponderosa pine forest
- Mixed-conifer forest
Mount Davis lies near the cool upper end of that spectrum.
Its elevation allows forest conditions that are dramatically different from the deserts only a relatively short distance south.
This sharp ecological transition is one of the defining features of the Bradshaw Mountains.
🌤️ Best Time to Hike Mount Davis
Spring
Late spring can offer excellent hiking conditions once winter snow has melted.
Early spring may still bring snow, ice, mud, and closed forest roads at higher elevations.
Summer
Mount Davis’s elevation provides substantially cooler temperatures than Phoenix and Arizona’s lower deserts.
However, July and August coincide with the Southwest monsoon.
Afternoon thunderstorms can develop quickly, producing:
- Lightning
- Heavy rain
- Hail
- Strong winds
- Muddy roads
Start early and avoid exposed ridges when thunderstorms are developing.
Fall
Fall is one of the best seasons for Mount Davis.
Cooler temperatures and generally pleasant hiking conditions make September and October particularly attractive.
Aspen and Gambel oak can add autumn color to parts of the upper Bradshaw landscape.
Winter
Snow is possible and sometimes substantial.
Forest roads may become icy, muddy, or impassable, while off-trail navigation can be considerably more difficult beneath snow.
Winter hikers should be prepared for true mountain conditions.
🚗 Access
Mount Davis can be approached using Forest Service roads south of Prescott in the Walker, Potato Patch, and Mount Union area.
The exact road route depends on the chosen hiking approach.
Conditions can change considerably because of:
- Snow
- Rain
- Mud
- Wildfire
- Forest restoration work
- Seasonal closures
- Private-property boundaries
A road shown on a navigation app should not automatically be assumed open to public motor vehicles.
Consult current Prescott National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Maps and local closure notices before driving into the upper Bradshaws.
⚠️ Private Property
The mountain itself lies on Prescott National Forest land, but portions of the surrounding road network pass near private property and historic mining claims.
Trip reports from the area repeatedly note the importance of respecting property boundaries.
Do not assume an old road is public simply because it appears on a map or satellite image.
Following current Forest Service routes and posted signage is the safest approach.
🎒 Hiking Safety
Mount Davis is not technically difficult under normal dry conditions, but the combination of off-trail travel and mountain weather requires preparation.
Carry:
- Plenty of water
- Offline map or GPS
- Compass
- Food
- Extra clothing
- Headlamp
- First-aid supplies
- Sun protection
Because the final climb is off trail, hikers should be comfortable navigating through forest without relying entirely on a visible tread.
Deadfall and loose rocks can make travel slower than expected.
During monsoon season, lightning is one of the most serious hazards.
🏔️ Field Guide Tip: Mount Davis is close to trails and roads, but the final summit approach is still an off-trail route. Save an offline map before leaving Prescott and note your return bearing before entering dense forest.
🧭 Nearby Mountains
Mount Union
Mount Union is Mount Davis’s Nearest Higher Neighbor and the highest point in the Bradshaw Mountains.
It rises to approximately 7,982 feet immediately southwest of Mount Davis.
Spruce Mountain
Spruce Mountain rises to approximately 7,699 feet north of Mount Davis.
Mount Davis is Spruce Mountain’s Nearest Higher Neighbor.
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain rises northwest of Prescott to approximately 7,630 feet.
Although lower than Mount Davis, Granite Mountain has much greater topographic prominence and forms the highest point of the Sierra Prieta.
Mount Tritle
Mount Tritle reaches approximately 7,797 feet and ranks third among the highest principal peaks of the Bradshaw Mountains.
It lies south of the Mount Davis–Mount Union area.
💡 Fun Facts
Mount Davis Is the Second-Highest Bradshaw Peak
Only Mount Union rises higher.
LiDAR Raised Its Official Working Elevation
Older maps commonly show Mount Davis at about 7,897 feet. Modern LiDAR puts the summit at approximately 7,906 feet.
It Is Spruce Mountain’s NHN
Spruce Mountain points directly to Mount Davis in the topographic hierarchy.
Mount Union Is Less Than a Mile Away in Isolation Terms
Mount Davis has just 0.65 mile of topographic isolation because Mount Union rises almost immediately to the southwest.
The Names May Reflect a Civil War Rivalry
A longstanding Arizona story says Confederate sympathizers named Mount Davis for Jefferson Davis and Union supporters responded by naming neighboring Mount Union.
The Mountain Has No Developed Summit
Unlike Mount Union and Spruce Mountain, Mount Davis has no lookout tower or major developed recreational facility at its high point.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How high is Mount Davis in Arizona?
Modern LiDAR data place Mount Davis at approximately 7,906 feet (2,410 meters).
Where is Mount Davis?
Mount Davis is south of Prescott in Yavapai County, Arizona, within Prescott National Forest and the Bradshaw Mountains.
Is Mount Davis the highest peak in the Bradshaw Mountains?
No. It is the second-highest. Mount Union is the range high point at approximately 7,982 feet.
What is Mount Davis’s Nearest Higher Neighbor?
Its Nearest Higher Neighbor is Mount Union.
How prominent is Mount Davis?
Mount Davis has approximately 306 feet (93 meters) of topographic prominence.
Is there a trail to the summit?
Not directly. Trails and old roads approach Mount Davis closely, but reaching the actual summit normally requires a short off-trail climb.
Can Mount Davis and Mount Union be climbed together?
Yes. The two peaks are very close, and hikers frequently combine them in the same outing.
Is Mount Davis connected to Spruce Mountain?
Yes. Spruce Mountain lies to the north, and Mount Davis is its Nearest Higher Neighbor. Longer hiking routes can connect Spruce Mountain, Mount Davis, and Mount Union.
Who was Mount Davis named after?
A longstanding local account says the mountain was named for Confederate President Jefferson Davis by Southern sympathizers during the Civil War era. The story is widely repeated but is best treated as local tradition rather than a fully documented naming history.
🌄 A Quiet Summit in the High Bradshaws
Mount Davis is easy to overlook beside Mount Union, but its position in the Bradshaw Mountains makes it an important Arizona summit.
At 7,906 feet, it is the range’s second-highest principal peak. It serves as the Nearest Higher Neighbor of Spruce Mountain, lies less than a mile from higher Mount Union terrain, and occupies one of the coolest and most heavily forested parts of central Arizona.
Unlike its better-known neighbors, Mount Davis has no fire tower, picnic site, or straightforward maintained summit trail.
That gives it a different appeal.
For hikers and peakbaggers willing to leave the established trail for the final climb, Mount Davis offers a quieter encounter with the ponderosa forests, ancient geology, mining history, and rugged high country of the Bradshaw Mountains.
🔗 Related Articles
📚 Sources
- Peakbagger — Mount Davis, Arizona — elevation, prominence, isolation, NHN, coordinates, and land ownership.
- Peakbagger — Bradshaw Mountains — Mount Davis’s ranking among the major Bradshaw peaks and range dimensions.
- U.S. Forest Service — Prescott National Forest Ecological Sustainability Report — Prescott National Forest geography, elevations, vegetation communities, watersheds, and ecosystems.
- U.S. Geological Survey — Bradshaw Mountains Geology — historic geological mapping of the Mount Union district, including Mount Davis.
- Arizona Highways — Back Road Adventure: Senator Highway — Mount Davis and Mount Union naming tradition and regional history.
- HikeArizona — Mount Davis — commonly used hiking routes, distances, elevation gain, and off-trail summit information.
