Maverick Trail - MSPN • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jun 14 2025
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 857

Hiking	13.42 Miles	862 AEG

Hiking	13.42 Miles	4 Hrs 54 Mns	2.74 mph
	862 ft AEG

Linked

9 linked trail guides

Buckshot Trail - MSPN

High Desert Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

did a counter clockwise loop from the Brown's Ranch TH with a side trip over to the new interpretive trail at Brown's Ranch, which is pretty cool. I've walked through that area before, but it's nice to have the info that shows and explains what you're looking at.

From there the loop was Buckshot, High Desert, Cholla Mtn loop, Watershed, Maverick, Vaquero and Chuckwagon Trails. The early start and higher elevation up there made it a little cooler than in Phoenix, so it wasn't the scorching heat that we'll have soon enough.

Not too much traffic on the trails. Mostly bikers, one trail runner. Less traffic as the morning wore on and the temperature started to heat up. No wildlife, spotted two more saguaros that have crested arms.

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1 archive

Feb 16 2024

Nightstalker

Routes 189
Photos 7,244
Triplogs 1,743

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Pima Dynamite MTB, AZ

Mtn Biking		Feb 16 2024
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,743

Mtn Biking	17.80 Miles	959 AEG

Mtn Biking	17.80 Miles	2 Hrs 42 Mns		9.54 mph
	959 ft AEG	50 Mns Break	7 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

Stagecoach Trail - MSPN

Axle Grease Trail

Partners

none

no partners

Met my buddy Dan and his buddy Dan for some west side Browns Ranch trail riding out of Pima Dynamite trail head. Perfect temps this morning. Lots of hikers and bikers. Woman with a beautiful poodle. Lots of puddles on the trails.

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Jan 11 2024

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 14
Photos 7,202
Triplogs 5,208

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

McDowell Sonoran Preserve North, AZ

Hiking		Jan 11 2024
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,208

Hiking	9.93 Miles	1,042 AEG

Hiking	9.93 Miles	3 Hrs 6 Mns	3.29 mph
	1,042 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

10 linked trail guides

Cone Mountain Loop - MSPN

Brown's Summit Spur Trail - MSPN

Partners

partners

trekkin_gecko

Kelly wanted to get away from Papago, so after a short stint at work we were off to the Brown's Ranch area. Temps were chilly and windy with a bit of rain and hail/graupel. When the sun came out it felt rather nice. Saw six other hikers and a couple mountain bikers.
Good to get back out this way. Thanks Kelly.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ray Bain de Soleil

_____________________

“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

Jan 11 2024

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

McDowell Sonoran Preserve North, AZ

Hiking		Jan 11 2024
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	10.08 Miles	653 AEG

Hiking	10.08 Miles	3 Hrs 5 Mns	3.40 mph
	653 ft AEG	7 Mns Break

Linked

Cone Mountain Loop - MSPN

Partners

partners

johnlp

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

john drove us to brown's ranch to do a real hike this afternoon
got going around 1230
headed toward brown's mountain with a detour around cone mountain
john went up to brown's summit while i went around to the north
we met back up then went over to the amphitheater and headed back to the trailhead
cloudy cool and windy to start
we got a few sprinkles and some graupel
nice once the sun came out
trails were damp and a little muddy in a few spots
very few people out
nice to be out somewhere other than papago park
linkage as a bonus
thanks, lp

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hazhole

1 archive

Dec 12 2023

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,627
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Browns Ranch, AZ

Hiking		Dec 12 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	9.43 Miles	934 AEG

Hiking	9.43 Miles	2 Hrs 58 Mns		3.18 mph
	934 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

Linked

10 linked trail guides

Brown's Summit Spur Trail - MSPN

[ checklist ] Brown's Mountain - Scottsdale MSP Cathedral Rock - MSP Cholla Mountain 3,406 - MSP North

Partners

none

no partners

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Beautiful morning for a hike. Quite a few hikers out close to the TH, but, as always, the numbers petered out a few miles away. All I'd see was MTB'ers after that. The overcast skies kept things comfortable.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

Dec 13 2022

Yoder

Guides 8
Routes 70
Photos 3,208
Triplogs 273

59 male

Joined Oct 07 2017
Chandler, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 13 2022
		Yoder • Triplogs 273

Hiking	11.30 Miles	750 AEG

Hiking	11.30 Miles	3 Hrs 31 Mns		3.44 mph
	750 ft AEG	14 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

Linked

Whiskey Bottle Loop - MSPN

Broken Spoke Trail - MSPN

High Desert Trail - MSPN

Buckshot Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Wanted a casual hike but needed some mileage, so identified a convoluted route that uses bits of a lot of trails for a pretty enjoyable 11 mile hike. This gets you away from the crowds for a good bit of the hike. Although my wife stated that she felt like she was walking around in circles on this hike

.

I'll post it as an alternate route.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Common Raven Mule Deer Phainopepla

_____________________

J. Yoder

Nov 13 2022

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 14
Photos 7,202
Triplogs 5,208

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 13 2022
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,208

Hiking	13.82 Miles	1,924 AEG

Hiking	13.82 Miles	6 Hrs 10 Mns	2.46 mph
	1,924 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

14 linked trail guides

Bootlegger Trail - MSPN

Granite Mountain Trail - MSPN

Powerline Road #2 Trail - MSPN

Partners

partners

trekkin_gecko

This was my second hike north of the McDowells. Kelly had an old track with two peaks on it that provided a basis for our hike. We altered the hike from the track a couple times. Not unusual for our hikes.
We started hiking not long after first light. It was chilly, but within an hour or two we back down to summer hiking attire. Saw a couple coyotes near the trailhead.
The ascent up little Granite was off trail. Lots of rough granite boulders, catclaw, and other not so friendly brush on the way. We triumphed eventually after taking a more difficult route than necessary.
After descending we were looking over at Browns Peak, so off we went. The trail up to the peak is in good shape and not as steep as I suspected it might be. Good summit views.
Our next target was Cholla Mountain. After checking the time and remaining mileage, we decided to save Cholla and Fraesfield mountains for another day.
The trails here are all in good shape and well signed. Excellent for novice mountain bikers, of which we saw many. Beautiful desert flora and rock formations as well.
Fun hike. Thanks Kelly.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

Nov 13 2022

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 13 2022
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	13.82 Miles	1,924 AEG

Hiking	13.82 Miles	6 Hrs 10 Mns	2.46 mph
	1,924 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

Linked

14 linked trail guides

Bootlegger Trail - MSPN

Granite Mountain Trail - MSPN

Powerline Road #2 Trail - MSPN

Partners

partners

johnlp

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

john hit me up to hike little granite mountain and cholla mountain in the mcdowell sonoran preserve north
we got going around 0700 or so
chilly temps - upper 30s when we started
bootlegger to the east side of granite mountain
we didn't take the best line on the ascent
our route was better on the descent going off west from the saddle
off trail in the mcdowells is slow going with sticker bushes, loose gravel and bouldering
it's also frowned upon by the preserve
we visited the balanced rock and the amphitheater along cholla mountain loop
i got distracted by brown's mountain, so we decided to hit that peak next
by the time we got back near cholla mountain, we were running into game time
returned the way we came after a visit to cathedral rock
beautiful day for a hike
lots of mountain bikers out, not as many hikers
we'll have to come back for cholla mountain sometime and explore some of the other trails
excellent linkage
thanks lp

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hazhole

Feb 28 2022

Nate_F

Routes 215
Photos 1,337
Triplogs 124

53 male

Joined May 26 2017
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 28 2022
		Nate_F • Triplogs 124

Hiking	10.40 Miles	597 AEG

Hiking	10.40 Miles	3 Hrs 35 Mns	2.90 mph
	597 ft AEG

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Branding Iron Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Good hike in the northern part of the McDowell Preserve. Many interesting rock formations and vegetation. Saw a crested saguaro.
Cool and windy to start, warm when I finished.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro - Crested

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May 21 2021

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,348

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		May 21 2021
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,348

Hiking	9.00 Miles	900 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	4 Hrs	2.51 mph
	900 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

Linked

Powerline Road #2 Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Latigo

Rustler

Upper ranch

Wrangler

Vaquero

Watershed

Maverick

Cholla Mtn loop

Balanced Rock

Chuck Wagon

Brown Ranch Rd

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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Apr 03 2021

Booneman

Guides 9
Routes 33
Photos 780
Triplogs 4,634

44 male

Joined Nov 25 2008
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Run/Jog		Apr 03 2021
		Booneman • Triplogs 4,634

Run/Jog	10.25 Miles	513 AEG

Run/Jog	10.25 Miles	1 Hour 25 Mns	7.24 mph
	513 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Jane Rau Interpretive Trail - MSPN

Granite Mountain Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Great morning run in the preserve, one of my favorite things to do in all of Phoenix!

Saw my first diamondback of the season on Rustler.

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Mar 21 2020

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,627
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Granite-Cholla-Browns loop, AZ

Hiking		Mar 21 2020
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	14.98 Miles	1,326 AEG

Hiking	14.98 Miles	5 Hrs 9 Mns		3.18 mph
	1,326 ft AEG	26 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

Linked

10 linked trail guides

Bootlegger Trail - MSPN

Branding Iron Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Practicing SD, Joe and I did not hike together today.
I've had a sinus infection and some other stuff going on for the last 6+ weeks and even I don't want to hike with me.

I slept in and headed to the newly (for me) remodeled Granite Mountain TH. I was thinking it would be the least popular (least busy) in the Sonoran North Preserve. Maybe that was so, but it was plenty busy. I did a loop that went out to and up Browns Mountain

For those of you flower children out there, I suggest the 6.25 mile Granite Mountain Loop CCW, or just a shorter trip that includes the south side of Granite Mountain. I consider the flowers extreme there right now.

Brittle Bush, Owl Clover, Poppies, Fiddleneck, Scorpion weed, Fairy Duster, Dichelostemma capitatum, Chuperousa, Globe Mallow and many more. Adding a green desert and deep blue sky and puffy clouds, made this a memorable route today.

Lots-o-hikers, lots-o-bikers, 5 horses and drop dead gorgeous weather.

Be safe out there

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Brittle Bush, Owl Clover, Poppies, Fiddleneck, Scorpion weed, Fairy Duster, Dichelostemma capitatum, Chuperousa, Globe Mallow and many more

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

Jan 21 2020

LosDosSloFolks

Routes 70
Photos 3,081
Triplogs 601

70 male

Joined Feb 10 2019
Cave Creek, AZ

SloFolks In the Mist, AZ

Hiking		Jan 21 2020
		LosDosSloFolks • Triplogs 601

Hiking	6.55 Miles	440 AEG

Hiking	6.55 Miles	2 Hrs 45 Mns		2.62 mph
	440 ft AEG	15 Mns Break	6 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Woke up to a nice rain this morning and the weather prognosticators said it would end by 10am. We went to the MSPN Browns Ranch Trailhead at 11am and not long into our hike the cloud cover dropped down to about 100' AGL and a heavy mist started. It was not too bad to hike in and it gave the desert quite a beautiful look.

As soon as we got about 3 miles out the temps dropped 20 degrees and the mist turned into a wind driven light rain. I had a waterproof top on but soon we were pretty well wet and cold. We took cover under a rock ledge outcropping to eat and dry off a little. On the ground were maybe six metates ground into the bedrock. The Hohokam people apparently used this shelter 800 years ago to grind mesquite beans out of the sun.

This northern section of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is huge. We've hiked up here from two of the four trailheads on many occasions and have only scratched the surface of the plethora of trails provided. The tread has been in superb shape on every trail we've been on. The whole area is granite so the trails are nice and sticky.

As we made our way back towards our car we had to pass under the high tension power lines which parallel a dirt road near the trailhead. The 100% humidity and rain had the lines buzzing so loud it was spooky. The buzz was so loud it was echoing off of the wet ground and bushes at our feet. Cathy made the sign of the cross and we double timed it under the wires.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Crucifixion Thorn

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Phainopepla

_____________________

"If you wait, all that happens is you get older"

Mar 17 2019

GrottoGirl

Guides 3
Routes 569
Photos 11,976
Triplogs 1,634

50 female

Joined Sep 18 2009
Tucson, AZ

Browns Ranch Explore, AZ

Mtn Biking		Mar 17 2019
		GrottoGirl • Triplogs 1,634

Mtn Biking	15.54 Miles	982 AEG

Mtn Biking	15.54 Miles	3 Hrs 44 Mns	4.88 mph
	982 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

Linked

The Divide Trail - MSPN

South Diablo Trail - MSPN

North Diablo Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Fun ride for my friend's birthday!

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Jan 17 2019

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,348

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 17 2019
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,348

Hiking	9.00 Miles	840 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	3 Hrs 10 Mns	3.18 mph
	840 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

Linked

Hackamore Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Loop in MSPN:
Latigo - Hackamore - Rustler - Wrangler - Vaquero - Power - Watershed - Maverick - Cholla Mtn loop - Balanced Rock - Chuck Wagon - Browns Ranch Rd

Wildflowers Observation Light

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Dec 29 2018

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,249
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,603

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Maverick-Cholla-Chuckwagon loop MSPN, AZ

Hiking		Dec 29 2018
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,603

Hiking	7.64 Miles	401 AEG

Hiking	7.64 Miles	3 Hrs 40 Mns	2.26 mph
	401 ft AEG	17 Mns Break

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

realm09

watermelonW

Started from Brown's Ranch TH and took the road to Maverick Trail. Cold and windy to start--one kid may have accused me of child abuse. He got over it after a couple of miles. From Maverick, took Cholla north to Cathedral Rock, where the kids took a lunch break, then we backtracked south on Cholla to the Ampitheater and continued over to Balanced Rock. The kids took another break at Balanced Rock, then we took Chuckwagon back to the trailhead. Lots of people out by the time we finished. The kids were excited to pet some horses not too far from the trailhead. Once the wind had died down, the cool weather felt great.

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Jan 14 2018

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,348

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

MSPN loop, AZ

Hiking		Jan 14 2018
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,348

Hiking	9.50 Miles	1,030 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles	4 Hrs 20 Mns	2.53 mph
	1,030 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

Hackamore Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

MSP North figure eight.

Hackamore Tr

Rustler Tr

Wrangler Tr

Vaquero Tr

Watershed Tr

Maverick Tr

Cholla Mtn Loop Tr

Dry Gulch Tr

Corral Tr

Brown’s Ranch Rd

Upper Ranch Tr

Saw a swarm of bees about 20 yards away along Corral

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Nov 02 2017

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,348

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

MSPN loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 02 2017
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,348

Hiking	14.00 Miles	890 AEG

Hiking	14.00 Miles	5 Hrs 40 Mns	2.47 mph
	890 ft AEG

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Stagecoach Trail - MSPN

Malpais Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Decided to check out the new extended Stagecoach trail.

Browns Ranch - Maverick - Cholla Mtn loop - Stagecoach - Malpais - Hawknest - Browns Ranch - Upper Ranch

Saw a juniper at ~2850' on the new section. There are a few in MSPN.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cadastral Survey Marker

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1 archive

Jul 30 2017

Booneman

Guides 9
Routes 33
Photos 780
Triplogs 4,634

44 male

Joined Nov 25 2008
Scottsdale, AZ

Black Hill Trail - MSPN

Black Hill Trail - MSPN

Phoenix, AZ

Run/Jog		Jul 30 2017
		Booneman • Triplogs 4,634

Run/Jog	12.00 Miles	532 AEG

Run/Jog	12.00 Miles	1 Hour 30 Mns	8.00 mph
	532 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Turpentine Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Big lasso loop from Fraesfield trailhead, starting on the Black Hill trail.

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Mar 19 2017

syoung

Guides 6
Routes 23
Photos 1,125
Triplogs 593

46 male

Joined May 23 2012
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 19 2017
		syoung • Triplogs 593

Hiking	9.15 Miles	892 AEG

Hiking	9.15 Miles	2 Hrs 19 Mns	3.95 mph
	892 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

Jane Rau Interpretive Trail - MSPN

Brown's Summit Spur Trail - MSPN