Hedgpeth Hills High Point (or the Peak formerly known as 1557ft), is a rocky prominence on the south eastern end of the Hedgpeth Hills range. I’ve driven by this hill numerous times and never saw anyone climbing it. I started the hike from the flat dusty area just off the road in from the Loop 101 west bound frontage road. This road heads up to a saddle between the two hills and then curves around the western most hill to a gate and what looks like an underground water tank of some sort. I headed north, paralleling the road and then veering off to the left to start ascending the hill. The hillside was littered with lots of volcanic boulders, a few Palo-Verdes and only a couple Cholla death-cacti that were easy to avoid. The boulders were all pretty stable and set into the ground which made the climb a bit easier. The sun was starting to set, so I was rushing a bit faster than I should have, but I wanted to make it up and back down before it got too dark to see. Although, as off trail hikes go, it wasn’t too bad, it’s not a slope I would want to come down in the dark, even with a headlamp. I made it to the top just as the sun set behind the White Tank Mountains to the west, and so was treated with a really nice sunset. At the top there really wasn’t much to see, so I headed back down the way I came. Half way down I played a little game of “Stay on the Rocks Because the Dirt is Lava” – another good exercise for balance and control. Overall, Hedgpeth Hills Highpoint was a descent hill to practice and train for off trail hiking, but that’s about it.