Cangshan Mountain: River Gorge Hike (1 Day)

Cangshan Mountain: River Gorge Hike (1 Day)

After hiking steadily uphill for about an hour through terraced fields and tea plantations, we come to the entrance of the gorge. We continue along a small trail that traverses the side of the gorge for another 30 minutes before finally coming to the river.

We soon arrive at the first of many small but majestic waterfalls with crystal clear pools that are perfect for cooling off in during summer.

After hiking beside the river past a series of waterfalls for about an hour, we come to the most spectacular part of the entire gorge, a narrow channel with high cliffs nicknamed the “Cathedral”. The walls of the cliffs are smooth, undulating and completely vertical, even overhanging. Much like a typical “slot canyon”, they were worn smooth over eons by rushing water, which gives them a very interesting appearance. This is the narrowest part of the entire gorge (only a few metres wide at its narrowest point), and the cliffs are at least 30 metres high, so the view is quite stunning.

Itinerary

An 8 km hike from a small, quiet farming village at the foot of Cangshan Mountain in Dali, Yunnan Province through terraced fields, tea plantations and deep into a scenic river gorge with towering cliffs. This is the perfect hike for people who love to explore gorges!

After reaching the deepest part of the gorge with the highest cliffs, we have lunch there, relax for a while, then retrace our steps back down the gorge to the village. Our car will be waiting there to transfer us back to Dali Old Town sometime between 3 and 4 pm.


Stop At:

• Cangshan Mountain, Dali 671000 China