Immortal Valley Loop | Views of mountains and the Miyun Reservoir, from the top of the Immortal Valley trail.
The top trail at Immortal Valley.

Immortal Valley Loop

Hike through and out of a park to reach a beautiful ridgeline trail with views of mountains and the Miyun Reservoir.

Level 4
A long, slow climb to the top with a few ladders and steep stairs. 4–5 hours start to finish over 12–14km (Can I do it?)

This hike is not currently scheduled

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There's a lot to see on our Immortal Valley Loop hike – pools filled with clear spring water, waterfalls, big trees, wild flowers, some distant Great Wall, the Miyun Reservoir, and long views of valleys and mountains.

The first section of the trail is through a park and is well shaded by leafy trees. A clear stream runs down through the valley, passing large granite boulders, forming natural pools, and flowing off cliffs in waterfalls that are up to twenty metres high.

After about twenty minutes' walk up the concrete park trail, and a steep stairclimb, we'll see the tallest of the falls. It’s fed by water from the small reservoir above, and used for ice climbing when it's all frozen during winter. Fixed to the cliff face is a sketchy steel staircase which can be used to climb the cliff. If we're allowed to take the staircase we'll offer that option; more likely we’ll use the steps and stairs that go up through a cleft in the cliff and end up around the back of the waterfall.

Hiking up Immortal Valley
Hiking up Immortal Valley. (Click for larger image)

We’ll continue up the valley, passing cliffs, waterfalls, boulders, and pools of water on the way to the ‘Big Buddha’ carved into the cliffside.

From there we continue up into a forested area, hiking a shaded valley trail that will take us up to the top.

We'll take a lunch break at the top, and will take our time to enjoy the views – a deep river valley on one side, the Miyun Reservoir on the other side, and mountains all around.

A pine tree clings to a cliff in the mountains above Immortal Valley
A pine tree clings to a cliff in the mountains above Immortal Valley. (Click for larger image)

The next part of the hike takes us down a different way, following a pretty path along and down a ridgeline, passing under huge bouldery cliffs and through copses of chestnut trees, pines, and wild apricots.

Eventually we'll join up again with the park trail used by regular visitors, and follow it back down to the carpark where we left our bus.

COVID-19 and participation precautions

The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions

Related content

Photos and trip reports: Immortal Valley Loop

  1. Immortal Valley Loop, 2023/11/06

    Immortal Valley Loop, 2023/11/06

    We had a rainy day that had a definite winter feel for this walk at Immortal Valley—see seventeen photos of cliffs, rocks, fallen leaves, and the far-off Miyun Reservoir.
  2. Immortal Valley Loop, 2022/06/12

    Immortal Valley Loop, 2022/06/12

    Immortal Valley was misty and damp on this visit, with abundant foliage all around and some glimpses of the Miyun Reservoir far below—see 11 photos.
  3. Immortal Valley hike, 2021/02/14

    Immortal Valley hike, 2021/02/14

    A mix of fog and smog made this hike a mysterious experience—see 20+ photos of icefalls, forests, and misty mountain scenery.
  4. Immortal Valley Loop, 2021/01/16

    Immortal Valley Loop, 2021/01/16

    The Immortal Valley Loop hike goes up a rocky valley, passing frozen waterfalls and cliffs on the way to a lookout point with a 360° view—see 18 photos from the hike.
  5. Immortal Valley Loop, 2021/01/01

    Immortal Valley Loop, 2021/01/01

    For our first walk of the year we headed to Immortal Valley to see the frozen waterfalls and mountain views—take a look at a set of 19 photos of frozen falls, cliffs and mountains, and long views over the Miyun Reservoir.
  6. Immortal Valley Loop, 2017/12/31

    Immortal Valley Loop, 2017/12/31

    The frozen waterfalls and pools at Immortal Valley make it a great winter hike, and we picked it for our last hike of 2017—see 25 photos.

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