Derek and I last rode this loop in 2018 and we were delighted to hit it up again. Brown Mountain Loop is underappreciated and maybe that’s because it’s pretty far from most population centers. We rode clockwise and our ride was 21.1 miles with 2,038′ of climbing.
We started our ride at the Brown Mtn Trailhead just west of Lake of the Woods Lake. The loop starts with heavy forest including stands of tall, old-growth Douglas fir. The amount of greenery is intense and the sweet smell of plants is intoxicating. It’s back here that we were harassed by a very angry grouse. Honestly I just wanted to get around but it kept bullying me! Eventually we crossed a gravel road and started the more technical part of the climb up through a few jumbled lava rock sections. It gets hot back here and the mosquitos were hungry so we kept moving and only stopped a couple times for pictures.
The lava rock fields are expansive and impressively, trail builders found a way through. We took a short detour down to Fish Lake to eat our sandwiches and then back up we went to rejoin the loop. Fish Lake Resort also offers food if you’re looking for more.
This next section between Fish Lake and Lake of the Woods is pretty smooth though there are some climbs. I read that it’s one of the more expensive sections of trails because they had to use dynamite to blow a path through all the lava rock. This part includes dramatic views of pyramid-shaped Mt. McLoughlin, which seems to pop out from clearings like a monolithic giant.
I love this loop and we’ll be back again for sure.
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