Abstract: A process for producing granular activated carbon using wood as a carbon source is described. The process comprises pulverizing wood to produce a wood powder in a fine granular form, drying the wood powder to produce a dry wood powder having a water content of not more than 10% by weight, adding at least one of coal tar and ground pitch to the dry wood powder in an amount of from 5 to 20% by weight based on the total amount of the wood powder and the binder to prepare a raw material, placing the raw material in a pellet mill, extruding the raw material under such temperature and pressure conditions that it is plasticized, and simultaneously cutting it to produce pellets, carbonizing the pellets by heating, and activating the carbonized pellets in a high temperature steam atmosphere. This process makes it possible to efficiently produce activated carbon of high mechanical and adsorption performance.