coolant leak

My 97 cavalier is leaking coolant, ive been told it could be the head gasket, but when i check the coolant level the coolant turns brown in color and kinda smells like its burning, what is the problem and how can it be fixed??

97 uses dex-cool which is orange in color so that is normal. as far as a blown head gasket usually you end up with water in the oil (check the oil it will be milky colored), or oil in the coolant. When it sits does it puddle water under the car? Does the cap pop and release water? I'd start by running the car until warm and start watching for leaks. if the coolant level goes down and the are no visible leaks then it could be the head gasket.