A new state park that honors 19 fallen firefighters received a national award for outdoor recreation projects earlier this month.

Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park was honored with a Project Excellence Award from the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals in a May 4 ceremony at the National Outdoor Recreation Conference in Scottsdale. The award honors an exemplary outdoor recreation project, plan or program, Arizona State Parks and Trails said in a news release.

"We are proud of the work that has been done to create a lasting legacy for the Granite Mountain Hotshots," Governor Doug Ducey said in the release. "Thanks to the contributions of many, Arizona has a memorial state park dedicated to the lives of these brave hotshots."

The hotshots, a group of elite wildland firefighters, died June 30, 2013, while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire near the town of Yarnell. The park's main feature is a 3.5-mile hike to an observation deck, then down to the site where the hotshots were overcome by the fire. Along the hike, a series of granite plaques provide information about each hotshot.

The park's trailhead is along State Route 89 southwest of Yarnell. At the trailhead, donations are being accepted to continue improving the park. For more information, visit the park's website.