To the east, you’ll see a deep and rugged wall of Carlisle Canyon that will eventually lead you back into civilization. Just before the 1 mile mark, the trail begins to climb again just as it makes a turn westward. This area is especially nice right after a rain storm, as the California sagebrush, bay laurel, and other fragrant natives really come alive. If you’re attempting this route in the summer or fall, you’ll want to get a nice, early start to avoid overheating. The hiking here on the southern stretch of the loop is mostly through low coastal sage scrub and is very open to the sun.

Stay to the left to begin your trek on the Mishe Mokwa Trail. Now, you’re headed east on the Backbone Trail with some beautiful views to the east.Īt the half-mile mark, the Backbone Trail takes a sharp right, descending to the overflow parking area and (eventually) all the way to Will Rogers State Park. Keep right at the junction at 0.3 miles and in another tenth of a mile that incline section will be over. Unfortunately, the first 0.4 mile is one of those noticeable areas. Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains (3,111 ft), can be reached from the main trailhead described here with a short 3 mile out-and-back (an alternate spillover lot can be reached just down the road) - but it is an infinitely more rewarding hiking experience to take the longer 6.1 mile loop along the Mishe Mokwa Trail.Īlso, if you’re doing this as a loop trail, the elevation gain is much less noticeable for most of the trip.

Depending on the season, the weather conditions, and the time of day, this trail will highlight new and different aspects of a route that has a little something for everyone. The Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak is that rare trail that you can do over and over again and never get tired of. In other words, it’s the perfect hike for the hiker who doesn’t know they’re a hiker yet. This trail is challenging without being impossible, solitary without being desolate, and with views, landmarks, and smells that will lodge in your brain and keep calling you back. NOTE: This trail was damaged in the 2018 Woolsey Fire but has been fully re-opened to hikers as of 2/23/19. This route to Sandstone Peak features a wide variety of landscapes, relatively easy elevation gain, and ample opportunities to explore side-trails. This is definitely one of my favorite trails in all of Los Angeles, and a fantastic way to introduce non-hikers to the joys of hiking. Great scenery, well-maintained trails, and lots of opportunities to branch out and explore. If you recall which cards you have already used, you can use that knowledge to inform your decisions, increasing the likelihood of success.Sandstone Peak is an easy hike for ‘intermediate beginners’ and novice hikers looking for a challenge. You have a wild card, but use it wisely. You'll want to uncover face-down playing cards as early in the game as possible. This gives you a better chance to complete the level. Generally speaking, when you are presented with two cards that are the same value, you should remove the one covering the biggest peak.

When you run out of cards to add to your chain and there are no more cards in the reserve, your game has reached its end. Clear as many cards as you can with your chain before you have to deal a new card from the reserve. Each card in the sequence is moved to the waste pile so you can make a chain of cards. Simply tap face up cards that are either one above or one below the top card of the waste pile. The goal of Tri Peaks is to clear all the cards on the table.

Pch tripeaks