Hong Kong Country Parks

Sai Kung East and Sai Kung West country parks cover most of the peninsula east of Kowloon, and this is where to go if you only have one day in the hills. At the East Dam of High Island Reservoir, a reservoir built in the 1970s by damming the sea between High Island and the mainland, the dam walls are flanked by giant hexagonal volcanic columns, the signature sight of the Geopark. From Sai Kung Town it is about 30 minutes by green taxi, or take bus 94 to Pak Tam Chung and walk the road.

The other draw is Tai Long Wan, four white-sand bays on the open coast reachable only on foot or by boat. Stage 2 of the MacLehose Trail runs from the East Dam over the headland to Sai Wan, Ham Tin and Tai Wan beaches, then out to Pak Tam Au, about five to six hours. The shortcut is a minibus from Sai Kung to Sai Wan Pavilion and a one-hour walk down to Sai Wan, where village cafes sell drinks and noodles and speedboats run back to Sai Kung when the sea allows.

Lantau Island is more than half country park. Lantau Peak is the classic sunrise climb: start from Pak Kung Au on the Tung Chung road and it is about an hour and a half of steep steps to the summit, then down the far side to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha. Many people start at 4am to see dawn over the South China Sea. The Lantau Trail, about 70 km in 12 stages, circles the island; its southern stages along Shek Pik Reservoir and the coast to Tai O are flatter and quieter.

Lantau’s south coast gives the best mix of hill and beach. Sunset Peak, between Pui O and Lantau Peak, has silver grass in autumn and a row of old stone cabins near the top.

Tai Mo Shan, the highest point in Hong Kong at 957 m, is often in cloud, which is how it earned its name, “big hat mountain”. A road runs most of the way up to a weather station, so you can take bus 51 from Tsuen Wan to the country park entrance and walk the paved road and trails to the viewing area in about an hour. The tea terraces and tofu dessert stalls of Chuen Lung village sit on the lower slopes.

East of it, Shing Mun Country Park has a reservoir walk with macaques and the old Shing Mun Redoubt wartime tunnels, and Lion Rock Country Park has the city’s most famous outcrop, a two-hour climb from Wong Tai Sin with views straight down on Kowloon. Kowloon Peak is the more serious ridge: its exposed edge, known locally as Suicide Cliff, has claimed lives, so keep to the path. Further north, Ma On Shan and Buffalo Hill carry stage 4 of the MacLehose Trail.

On the northern slope, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden near Lam Kam Road is a conservation centre with terraced gardens, rescued animals and forest trails up to Kwun Yum Shan. Individual visitors can walk in without booking; only groups and parking need to be booked ahead.

Dragon’s Back in Shek O Country Park is the walk everyone does: a gentle ridge with sea views on both sides, about two to three hours from To Tei Wan on Shek O Road (bus 9 from Shau Kei Wan MTR) down to Big Wave Bay, from where it is a short walk or bus to Shek O for a swim and a meal. It is stage 8 of the 50 km Hong Kong Trail, which starts at Victoria Peak and runs east through Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen and Tai Tam country parks.

For a shorter walk, the flat 3.5 km loop of Lugard Road and Harlech Road around the Peak gives the classic harbour view in under an hour. Tai Tam’s reservoirs and old stone dams make an easy half-day from Wong Nai Chung Gap to Tai Tam Road.

The far northeast is the emptiest corner of Hong Kong. Plover Cove Reservoir, another reservoir made from a sea inlet, is ringed by Plover Cove Country Park and the Pat Sin Leng ridge, eight peaks above Tai Po. Cycle hire at Tai Mei Tuk lets you ride along the dam. Beyond, Lai Chi Wo is a restored Hakka village with mangroves and feng shui woods, reached by hiking or on a weekend ferry from Ma Liu Shui.

Tung Ping Chau, in Mirs Bay near the mainland border, is made of thin layers of sedimentary rock that form wave-cut platforms all round the coast, and its waters are a marine park. Ferries run from Ma Liu Shui pier near University MTR on weekends and public holidays only, so plan around them.

Country parks, trails and the Geopark are free and need no permit. Most trailheads are on bus or green minibus routes, so pay with an Octopus card. The exception is Mai Po Nature Reserve, the wetland near the border where tens of thousands of migratory birds spend the winter: it is run by WWF and you visit on a booked guided tour. Hong Kong Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai is the easy alternative, with boardwalks, hides and a small entry fee.

Bins have been removed from most country park trails, so take your litter home. Campsites are designated and free; fires are allowed only in barbecue pits, and the dry winter months bring hill fire warnings. Carry more water than you think in summer, check the Hong Kong Observatory for typhoon signals and heat warnings, and leave the trail when a thunderstorm warning is up. Wild macaques in the central parks will grab plastic bags; do not feed them, which is illegal. Many trails are steep concrete steps, so start early and wear shoes with grip. For more day plans, see the itineraries guide.