We should have known better than to assume our first steep, rocky climb along the Brown Mountain Loop Trail would land us at the high point. The trail is considered moderately challenging with less than 700 feet of elevation gain. We thought we’d nailed the climbing in record time. Until we looked ahead.
As it turned out, we reached the trail summit (3,000’ elevation) after our second climb, only to drop down before making two more shorter ascents. The 4.2-mile trail, located in Tucson Mountain Park, offers 360° views of the surrounding desert landscape, a particularly beautiful scene this time of year.