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BROWN'S MOUNTAIN SUMMIT
McDowell Sonoran Preserve
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| Brown's Mountain |
Desert hiking; how we have missed thee. The return of cool temperatures and
close-to-home Valley hiking gets an added boost this year with the opening of
Brown’s Ranch Trailhead.
Everything old is new again in this beautiful swath of North
Scottsdale desert. For years,
local hikers have been familiar with the maze of social trails orbiting
Powerline Road north of Dixileta. With no enforced rules or designated routes
to protect the area's cultural artifacts and fragile terrain, this "wild
west" free-for-all recreation site was on its way to becoming either an
outdoor slum or swanky golf community.
Instead, the City of Scottsdale and the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy
have restored the granite-and-saguaro landscape to a glorious nature preserve. Cleaned up, packed with
amenities and staffed during peak months by superstar volunteer trail stewards,
roughly 60 of the planned 120 miles of recreational trails were opened to the
public on June 10, 2013. The choice
of hiking trails here can be overwhelming, so a good way to get acquainted with
this new section of the preserve is to scope it out from to its high
point---Brown's Mountain. Maps at
the parking lot and plentiful trail signs make navigation a cinch---just head
out from the trailhead and trek toward the big hill straight ahead. The real
beauty of this trail system is its connectivity. Endless combinations of loops or out-and-back routes can be
created to suit hikers of all stripes.
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| Brown's Mountain Trail |
LENGTH: 3 miles roundtrip (trailhead to Brown’s summit and
back)
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 2,710' - 3,253'
HOURS: sunrise -sunset daily
FACILITIES: paved parking, restrooms, water, horse hitch,
bike racks, maps
GETTING THERE:
Brown's Ranch Trailhead: 30301 N. Alma School Pkwy.
Scottsdale 85262.
From Loop 101 in Scottsdale, take the Pima/Princess exit
#36, go 6.5 miles north on Pima to Dynamite Road. Turn right and continue 2.7 miles to Alma School Road, turn
left and go 1 mile to the trailhead.
NOTE: trailhead parking will be CLOSED from 1 p.m. Friday 10-18-13
through Saturday 10-19-13 noon for the grand opening event. Park at Pinnacle Peak Patio (10426 E.
Jomax) and take the shuttle, which will run from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
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| Brown's Mountain Summit trail |
McDowell Sonoran Preserve MAP:
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/Northern+Preserve+Map.pdf
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/Northern+Preserve+Map.pdf
McDowell Sonoran Conservancy
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