Desert Biker: Brown Canyon

Sierra Vista, Arizona
I heard this was a must-do -- the best singletrack in southern Arizona. Sure enough, it was a lot of fun, and the area is just gorgeous. The spooky cliffs of the Huachucas loom over you. There are a couple small streams around, and the place is so lush that the prickly pears and cholla seem like aliens peaking through the pine trees.

How to get there: From Sierra Vista, take Hwy 92 to Ramsey Canyon Road. Turn right on Ramsey Canyon Road and head 2 miles to the trailhead parking area.

Length: 6 miles, 1 hour, 1100 foot climb.

Trail Conditions: Pretty good. Streams are flowing but soil is a little dry.

The Map: Click on the map below to check out the trail on Motionbased. There's also a good map at SDMB.

The Ride: I followed the directions from SDMB. You park at the trailhead, then ride 0.5 miles up the paved Ramsey Canyon Road. Turn right onto Brown Canyon Road and climb about 2 miles, veering left at all intersections. Eventually you'll get to a concrete water trough (see photo). You'll see a trail following a stream up into the wilderness area, but if you continue on the road you'll come to V. Head downhill for the normal loop. Or, you can head uphill about 100 feet and catch some singletrack on your right for a quick out-and-back to the boundary with Fort Huachuca. (Note: I didn't see a sign for the POMONA MINE as described on SDMB's website).

Heading back to the main loop, the downhill is smooth and fast, with a few pseudo-slickrock sections and couple rocky spots. At the bottom, you'll take a right at the V and climb a steep rocky hill. At the top of the hill, stay right and follow the dirt road back to your car at the trailhead.

It's such a quick ride it's almost worth doing it again. Instead, I drove over to Miller Canyon to ride the Perimeter Trail (see next post).