4.5 Miles

126 feet

Easy!

A Views

Hiking to Brown’s Ranch Overview

Hiking to Brown’s Ranch means jumping on the south side of the Corral Trail. There are lots of ways to get here. For this hike, we started from Brown’s Mountain Trailhead and used Brown’s Ranch Road to head over to the ranch. There are so many options to make this into a nice loop! Plus it is such a beautiful area!

Map & Elevation Profile

Total distance: 4.49 mi
Max elevation: 2827 ft
Min elevation: 2701 ft
Total time: 01:18:15

Map for Hiking to Brown’s Ranch

Get this map! There are a lot of trails in this area. So having a good map is helpful. 

mcdowell mountains green trails map get outdoors get happy

McDowell Mountains Greentrails map

You definitely won’t regret having this map for your McDowell Sonoran Preserve hikes (affiliate link)!

Parking

You will want to park at the Brown’s Mountain Trail lot. Parking is free and abundant!

Hiking to Brown’s Ranch Notes

We saw Brown’s Ranch marked on the map and thought that it could be cool to check out some ruins. Turns out there aren’t too many old ruins here. Plus the area is closed off and you can’t poke around in remains. 

But don’t be discouraged! This area is gorgeous. Brown’s Mountain is a particularly scenic mountain and there are tons of mountain views. Once you get in the valley where the ranch used to be, there is no (ATT) service. It makes this hike feel more remote. Go on a weekday and you will likely only see people at the trailhead. 

If you take the Corral trail clockwise you will be greeted by great views of Cholla Mountain and Brown’s Mountain when you head back to the car. 

It is so peaceful here! If you haven’t checked out this area you should! 

So, is Hiking to Brown’s Ranch worth it?

Do yourself a favor and come out to this area on a weekday evening. There’s low traffic, great light, and great views. 

Other hikes close by

Have a good map and create a nice loop. You could hike a loop around Brown’s Mountain for example. For something just as easy but with fewer people, check out the Fraesfield trailhead and try the Whiskey Bottle Trail hike or the Granite Mountain Loop at the Granite Mountain Trailhead.

Photos that will make you want to go there:

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