Brown Duck
- 1.8 mi
- round trip
- 127 ft
- climb
- 9,358 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Brown Duck open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Ashley National Forest.
Anvil Draw Boat Ramp Temporary Closure
Agency alert covering Ashley National Forest · Order 0401-26-01-03 · USFS · Ashley National Forest
Flaming Gorge Reservoir Water Levels
Agency alert covering Ashley National Forest · USFS · Ashley National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Ashley National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Brown Duck is a short, easy hike in the Roosevelt Ranger District of Ashley National Forest in southeastern Utah, managed by the Forest Service. The route is an out-and-back of about 1.8 miles with a one-way elevation gain of 127 feet, starting at roughly 9,249 feet and reaching about 9,358 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Moon Lake weather station, about 3 miles away, put July and August highs near 77°F with lows in the upper 40s, while winter highs there stay around 31°F. Brown Duck Trail lies about 0.2 miles away, and Atwine Cutoff is about 1.3 miles off. Climbers can head to Moon Lake, about 1.8 miles away, and Rock Creek Group Campground sits about 4.8 miles from the trail.
Local outfitters
- Midway Adventure Company49 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Brown Duck
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
31° / 7°
Feb
34° / 12°
Mar
41° / 18°
Apr
49° / 24°
May
59° / 33°
Jun
69° / 40°
Jul
77° / 48°
Aug
77° / 49°
Sep
67° / 41°
Oct
55° / 31°
Nov
40° / 22°
Dec
31° / 11°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Moon Lake, UT, 3.2 mi away at 8,125 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Brown Duck Trail
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31.66-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 4,625 ft elevation gain.
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ATWINE CUTOFF
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4.9-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,278 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Brown Duck A Trail
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1.64-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 601 ft gain/loss.
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FISH CREEK
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7.64-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 3,259 ft elevation gain/loss.
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Center Park Trail
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Tworoose Pass
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6.48-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 456 ft elevation gain.
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Lake Fork
~3 min drive
1.27-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 822 ft gain
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Fish Creek Trail
~6 min drive
10.44-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 3,539 ft gain/loss
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Lake Fork Trail
~12 min drive
26.26-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 3,865 ft gain and 10,389 ft max elevation.
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Dry Ridge Trail
~8 min drive
4.84-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,022 ft elevation gain and loss.
