Longyunshan ‘Dragon Cloud’ Mountain Ice Hike
Take a stroll up the frozen White River, and then return downstream for a hike up to the reservoir atop Dragon Cloud Mountain.
This hike is not currently scheduled
On this relatively relaxed hike we’ll take a stroll about scenic Longyunshan, walking along a trail that leads up the steep hills beside the river canyon aiming for the local ‘Heavenly Lake.’ We’ll finish the hike with a stroll up the river, following a nice and easy trail through trees and below cliffs.
The hike starts at the Sihetang bridge, at the lower end of the Baihe Canyon. After walking for a short while on a raised metal walkway that’s affixed to the rocks beside the river, we’ll get on to a dirt trail that follows the side of the river upstream.
The fun part of this hike is crossing the river. On this visit, we expect the river to be well frozen, and we’ll be able to cross over several times on the way up to the big rocks which mark the end of our walk upriver. Sometimes the ice freezes clear, and we can see all the way down to the bottom of the river. It’s like walking on thick glass – a little unnerving, but very pretty!
We’ll head back down the river to the metal walkway, and then climb up a hillside trail and get great views of the river, the impressive rocks and cliffs of the canyon, and the surrounding mountains.
The climb up is fairly steep, but after a while – and maybe a few stops for rests – we’ll be up on top and enjoying the excellent views.
On the way up to the top we’ll pass a frozen waterfall – in previous years, the ice has spilled over to cover part the trail, making a short stretch of the walk rather slippery. When it’s like this, we climb up this way, and head down a different, less slippery track to finish the hike.
As we reach the top of the hill, we’ll pass the ‘haunted house,’ left over from a film production – from a distance it looks like a regular house with a great view of the canyon; getting closer we can see that the construction is not so sturdy.
After visiting the haunted house we will continue to walk in the hills, passing old terraces, and heading for the local ‘heavenly lake,’ a reservoir high up in the hills.
After making a loop of the reservoir, we’ll follow an access road down to the bottom of the mountain, a long relaxed walk that will take us back to where our bus dropped us off at the beginning of the day.
What to bring on this hike
- Snacks
- Warm clothes, gloves, and a hat
- Good hiking boots
- (Click here to read our full What to Bring on a Hike list)
Reasons you might not like this hike
- It’s a fairly short hike, but the climb up to the reservoir and the haunted house is quite steep – perhaps tough if you’re not used to hiking.
- On the way up to the top we’ll pass a frozen waterfall – in previous years, the ice has spilled over to cover part the trail, making a short stretch of the walk rather slippery.
COVID-19 and participation precautions
The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions
