Brown's Ranch Trailhead at 30301 N. Alma School Parkway reopened Oct. 30, according to the City of Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve page. It had been closed since July 13. The project rebuilt the parking lot, the trailhead building, and the point where hikers, riders and equestrians leave the pavement and choose a trail. Five trail segments now start from a new dispersal area. The miles past that point are the ones you already know, but the first few minutes of the walk have changed.
Where the $1.17 Million Went
The city's Brown's Ranch Trailhead Improvements page lists a budget of $1,165,599, paid for by the 2004 Preservation Sales Tax. The page gives three objectives.
- A redesigned parking lot for better durability, drainage and circulation.
- New lighting and roofing on the trailhead building.
- A new trail dispersal area, with five trail segments rerouted "to help reduce congestion while ensuring the protection of sensitive areas remain intact."
The city's adopted capital improvement plan adds detail. It lists new restroom toilets and sinks, better interior lighting, drainage refinements, new interpretive, safety and user signs, and a trail-access plaza on the north side. Every item on that list sits between the car and the first trail marker. When Patch reported the closure in July, it said the trailhead, the building, the parking lot and parts of nearby trails would close until fall. The trails were closed only where they meet the trailhead, and that is where the work was done.
The Dispersal Area Changes the First Choice of Every Outing
The city describes the problem as congestion. Its fix spreads people out at the trailhead itself. The new dispersal area, with five rerouted segments leading from it, changes where a regular outing begins. The north-side access plaza in the capital plan adds another way to get from the lot to the trails. If you walked the same route from habit before July, expect the first turn to look different. The new signs are part of the project, so read them on your first visit back.
The facilities beyond that point are the same as before. The city still lists parking, restrooms, shade ramadas, interpretive signs, water, horse-trailer parking, hitching rails, a water trough and the accessible Jane Rau Nature Trail among Brown's Ranch amenities. The equestrian lot has been resurfaced, so riders return to the same trailer parking and hitching rails on a new surface.
Brown's Ranch Trailhead Open Oct. 30. Improvements include a new trail dispersal area with 5 rerouted trails, a resurfaced equestrian lot, improved pedestrian connectivity, upgrades to aged infrastructure, and more.
That is the city's own summary on the Preserve page. "Improved pedestrian connectivity" reads like a facilities phrase. It also describes the part of the trailhead that will feel different under your feet.
The Conservancy's November Calendar Leaves From the New Lot
The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy's events calendar lists a full month of guided programs at Brown's Ranch starting the week after the reopening. Most are free educational walks, and several stay close to the trailhead on the Jane Rau Trail. For anyone who wants to learn the new starts with a guide, it is an easy way back in.
| Date | Program | Time | Distance or focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Sonoran Desert Discovery, Educational Walk | 9 to 11 a.m. | Free overview of geology and ecology |
| Mon., Nov. 9 | Introduction to the Preserve and Conservancy | 8 to 11 a.m. | Free, about 7 miles, for people new to the Preserve |
| Tue., Nov. 10 | Brown's Mountain, Cone Mountain, Latigo Loop Hike | 8 to 11 a.m. | 6.3 miles via Upper Ranch, Wrangler, Brown's Mountain, Cone Mountain and Latigo |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Desert Surfaces, Educational Walk | 9 to 11 a.m. | Free; lichen, desert varnish, soil crust |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Brown's Ranch Homestead, Educational Hike | 8 to 10:30 a.m. | Free, about 3 miles, on the historic ranch |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Nature's Medicine Cabinet, Educational Walk | 9 to 11 a.m. | Free; medicinal plants |
| Tue., Nov. 17 | Brown's Ranch: The Real Story, Educational Walk | 9 to 10:30 a.m. | Free half mile on Jane Rau Trail; Indigenous, military and ranching history |
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Walk Like a Tortoise, Educational Walk | 9 to 11 a.m. | Leisurely, under a mile on Jane Rau Trail |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | A Meditation Walk | 9 to 10:30 a.m. | Free, mindful half mile on Jane Rau Trail |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Trailside Bike Repair Basics | 9 a.m. to noon | Free class on trailside maintenance and repair |
Two programs suit regulars best. The Nov. 10 loop starts at Brown's Ranch and follows Upper Ranch, Wrangler, Brown's Mountain, Cone Mountain and Latigo, so a guide is with you from the trailhead onward. The Nov. 9 introduction hike, about 7 miles, is designed for people new to the Preserve, and after four months away a returning hiker is partly new to this trailhead too. The three Jane Rau Trail walks on Nov. 17, 19 and 21 stay on the accessible nature trail near the lot. They work for guests and slower walkers, and the Tuesday and Thursday dates fit a short weekday morning. Check the Conservancy's listing for each program before you go.
Gate Times Shrink Across November
November light changes what a weekday hike can include. The city's Preserve hours table lists hours of 6:17 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. on Nov. 1 and 6:30 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. on Nov. 15, and gates generally open about 30 minutes before sunrise. That is 23 fewer minutes of access over two weeks, lost at both ends of the day. The 8 a.m. Conservancy hikes in the table start well into the morning. An after-work outing that fit before the gates closed in early November will have less margin by mid-month, especially on a 6-mile loop.
Thompson Peak Parkway Has Its Own Construction Calendar Now
Brown's Ranch reopened in the same week Scottsdale held a groundbreaking for a separate North Scottsdale project. In an Oct. 28 city news release, Scottsdale reported an Oct. 27 ceremony for a second Thompson Peak Parkway bridge over Reata Wash. The release set the start of construction for Monday, Nov. 2, and said the work is expected to take about 12 months.
The $14.2 million project removes a bottleneck where four travel lanes narrow to two on the existing bridge. When it is finished, Thompson Peak Parkway will have four continuous lanes with bike lanes from Scottsdale Road to 100th Street, and the new bridge will have a sidewalk. The first phase includes salvaging native plants, utility work and drilling shafts for bridge supports, mostly below the roadway in the wash. Travel lanes stay open during this phase.
"Our initial construction activities will take place largely below the roadway, allowing us to begin this important work without affecting travel lanes," Alison Tymkiw, the city's senior director of transportation and infrastructure, said in the release. The release also explains the bridge's history. When DC Ranch was developed, an agreement between the city and the developer called for two bridges to be designed but only one built, with the city to add the second as the area grew. The city says more bicycle traffic along the corridor increased the need for it. Like Brown's Ranch, this project fixes a spot where traffic narrows into a single path. If you cycle or walk across Reata Wash, plan on a construction zone from now until about this time next year.
Before Your First Morning Back
Our September post on where North Scottsdale hiked while Brown's Ranch was closed covered the backup trailheads. For a return to Alma School Parkway, three things have changed since July:
- The trail you start on may not be in the same place. Five segments now leave from the new dispersal area, so follow the new signs instead of habit.
- The lot has been redesigned for circulation and drainage, so parking and walking to the trail will feel different from your last visit.
- Riders return to a resurfaced equestrian lot with the same hitching rails, water trough and horse-trailer parking listed among the trailhead's amenities.
For more on the trails, roads and new openings around the Preserve's northern edge, see our North Scottsdale neighborhood guide.
At Apex Residential, we keep track of changes like this new trail start, because they shape a North Scottsdale morning and the value of living close to the Preserve. If a Preserve-edge home is part of your plans, we'd be glad to help you find your private paradise.
