Tianmen Mountain Rock Arch

Hike up to the massive rock archway on Tianmen Mountain for views of mountains and the Miyun Reservoir, then walk out down a valley trail by frozen waterfalls.

Level 2+

3–4 hours of hiking over approx. 8km. (Can I do it?)

This hike is not currently scheduled

The arch in the rock at Tianmen Mountain.

This trail has replaced our planned hike down the ice on the White River – the ice isn't yet frozen thick enough to walk all the way down the river.

On this hike you'll see some ice, but you won't need to walk over it.

In the mountains by the Miyun Reservoir are a lot of valleys that have been developed into parks because of the scenery – big cliffs, craggy mountains, waterfalls and rivers, and poetically-named rocks.

During the summer the parks are quite busy. During winter they're often empty, which means it's possible to enjoy the scenery without all the crowds.

At the top of the park at Tianmen Mountain is a giant arch in the rock, and from the viewing point you'll see panoramas of mountains and cliffs, and a wide view of the Miyun Reservoir.

On this walk we hike up to the trailhead from the main carpark, and then make a climb up the park trails to get to the viewing point – a hike of about 1.5 hours.

Up at the viewing area for the arch we'll make a little loop around the top trails and then hike down the other side of the mountain, passing frozen waterfalls and pools on the way to the end.

This has been a rough description of the trail, as it's brand new for us. See the photos below for more of an idea of the scenery, and click any of the photos to open a slideshow with larger photos.