Brown's Ranch Trailhead in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve

While you expect cacti and rugged terrain on a desert hike, grassland isn't usually a prominent feature.  By visiting the McDowell Sonoran Preserve from Brown's Ranch Trailhead in far north Scottsdale, you begin to appreciate how this open land supported the Brown family's cattle farm for many years. The ranch is long gone, but a vast network of trails crisscross the property through prairie, washes and mountain peaks, offering an escape into the high desert.  Various yucca's, many blooming, are also a unique addition to the landscape.

I hiked almost five miles in an area around the dominant peak in this section of the park, Brown's Mountain.  From the Trailhead, I took Upper Ranch Trail to Wrangler Trail to Brown's Mountain Trail up to the saddle.  From there, I took the summit spur to gaze at the panorama from a lofty and cool 3,253 feet. I continued down on Brown's Mountain Trail back to Upper Ranch Road in a loop around the north side of the landmark that eventually returned me to the trailhead.

Birds included Gila woodpeckers, phainopeplas, white-crowned sparrows, canyon towhees, ash-throated flycatchers, ravens and curve-billed thrashers. A desert horned lizard - often called a horny toad - was a thrill to spot.  And I saw two western diamondback rattlesnakes, both from a safe distance.  Brittlebush and desert marigolds were the dominant flowers, gilding the landscape beautifully.  But many other varieties - several new for me - were present on a beautiful spring day. And I noticed some signs of saguaro cacti just starting to show buds for their own spectacular display later in the season.  Stay tuned!

Panoramic view of Brown's Mountain, the hike's destination.

Fields of grasses with brittlebush blooms. You can imagine why cattle ranchers were attracted to this area.

Yucca blooms.

Soapy-tree yuccas were a unique addition to the landscape, and the only rival in size to the noble saguaro cactus.

Closer view of Brown's Mountain and its granite apex.

Dense blooms, mostly the yellow-gold hues of brittlebush and desert marigolds.

At Brown's Mountain Trail's saddle, a view of the short but steep summit spur to the top.

View from the summit toward Granite Mountain to the east in the same park.

Desert horned lizard, aka horny toad.

Horned lizard close-up. He seemed big, maybe five inches in length.

View of Brown's Mountain from the west and  from Upper Ranch Trail.

Subdued diamondback rattlesnake, a short distance off the trail.

Rattlesnake close-up.

Female phainopepla in brittlebush. 

White-crowned sparrow.

Ash-throated flycatcher in ocotillo bloom.

Unique desert bloom - maybe a type of thistle.

Curve-billed thrasher on a saguaro cactus. He's a common desert bird, but a this is a unique view - usually my shots are side on, showing his curved bill. I like his very human cross-eyed look.