Rolling Hills hike | Hiking ridgelines on the Rolling Hills hike
Hiking a shepherd's track on a ridgeline.

Rolling Hills hike

A long but not difficult ramble along country trails and lanes through pine forests, cornfields, orchards, villages, and farmland in Miyun District.

Level 3
3–4 hours start to finish over 9km. (Can I do it?)

This hike is not currently scheduled

Contact us for schedule updates or set up a private hike

This area covers a wide range of countryside scenery, including country trails and lanes, pine forests, orchards and farmland, and we may see some shepherds rambling about as well. Over the years we’ve found all the little trails and turns in the hills here, and if we find new fences or blocked paths (actually quite common!) we know all the ways to get around and back on track.

On this visit we’re expecting to see the last of the summer scenery here (and possibly a whole lot of spiderwebs). At the start of November we’ll visit again to see the colours of autumn.

The hike

We start off near our favourite farm playground and follow a narrow path up the ‘little hill’. It’s a good way to get warmed up, with some short climbs up and down as we walk over to the other side.

On the other side of the little hill we’ll spot another hill that looks quite a bit higher, and after a quick walk along the road we’ll be on our way up the track that leads to the top of it.

It’s a constant climb on a gradual gradient, with a few short steep parts. It will take us around 45 minutes to get all the way to the top.

The top is a great spot for a visit, with lots to see all around: the Miyun Reservoir can be seen back behind us, the Yunmeng Mountains rise up off in the distance, and on very clear days we can see the circular Sunrise Hotel at Yanqi Lake and the skyscrapers of Beijing’s Central Business District.

The top trail on the Rolling Hills hike
The top trail on the Rolling Hills hike. (Click for larger image)

We’ll hike down from the top and then out a valley, cutting through a birch plantation on the way and following narrow roads to the shepherds track that will take us up to the rim of ‘The Bowl’, another of the landmarks on this hike. The track that leads up to The Bowl is lovely for walking—an easy trail through empty hills.

After a rest at a spot that overlooks farmland encircled by steep hills we’ll head on to the end, hiking up and down along the rim of the bowl.

The hike ends with a hike out a long valley to finish by the side of the road.

This walk is quite long, but it's not difficult – aside from the hike up the ‘top trail’ there is not a lot of climbing up and down. The views are excellent, and the sparse population makes it a very peaceful area to walk in.

Note: the trail could get rather brushy in places – we recommend you wear trousers to protect your legs.

Related content

Photos and trip reports: Rolling Hills hike

  1. Rolling Hills hike, 2024/09/15

    Rolling Hills hike, 2024/09/15

    10 photos from an early autumn walk in the hills south of the Miyun Reservoir, following farm tracks, paved trails, and shepherds paths.
  2. Rolling Hills hike, 2023/11/11

    Rolling Hills hike, 2023/11/11

    We had lovely, crisp weather for this ramble around the rolling hills south of the Miyun Reservoir—see 18 photos.
  3. Rolling Hills hike, 2022/10/04

    Rolling Hills hike, 2022/10/04

    See ten photos from a ramble around a peaceful part of the Miyun countryside, refreshingly free from holiday crowds.
  4. Rolling Hills hike, 2021/02/17

    Rolling Hills hike, 2021/02/17

    See 24 photos from a day out in the rolling hills south of the Miyun Reservoir—a big blue sky, with long views of hills and far-off mountains.
  5. Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2020/10/31

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2020/10/31

    We weren’t expecting a sandstorm on this walk, but the gloomy skies were sort of appropriate for a Halloween hike—take a look at 26 photos of farmland and foliage in Miyun District's rolling hills.
  6. Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2019/10/27

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2019/10/27

    We always make sure to schedule this hike in autumn because the colours in the hills here are so pretty—click through to see 22 photos from a walk through the rolling hills of Miyun County.
  7. Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2019/06/08

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2019/06/08

    We followed hill trails and farm tracks between villages on this hike through the rolling hills of Miyun District—see 33 photos of green hills and blue skies.
  8. Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2019/03/03

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2019/03/03

    The Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes hike is a long ramble through the Miyun countryside—see 27 photos.
  9. Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2018/11/04

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2018/11/04

    See 18 photos from a drizzly day in the rolling hills of Miyun—clouds, cabbages, cornfields, and more!
  10. Rolling Hills hike, 2018/03/18

    Rolling Hills hike, 2018/03/18

    20+ photos from a long ramble through the hills of Miyun—snow shots, farmland views, and more!
  11. Shunyi Hikers Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2017/11/19

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2017/11/19

    See 30+ photos from our hike through the rolling hills of Miyun County.
  12. Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2017/10/04

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2017/10/04

    A big set of photos from a fun hike through the rolling hills of Miyun—see 50+ photos.
  13. Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2017/3/25

    Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes, 2017/3/05

    Twenty-two photos from a long but easy walk through the rolling hills by the Miyun Reservoir.
  14. Rolling Hills hike, 2015/11/29

    Rolling Hills hike, 2015/11/29

    Photos from a relaxed ramble in the hills of Miyun County.
  15. heading for a high point

    Hike photos – Rolling Hills, 2012/12/16

  16. A winter snowscape

    Hiking photos – The Rolling Hills, 2012/03/03

  17. Woolly dog in snow

    Hiking photos - Rolling Hills, 2010/01/17

See all the hikes  In the calendar / in a list