Pineapple Hill 菠蘿山 has become an increasingly popular destination, with its easy accessibility and the resemblance of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, it has been crowned the “Grand Canyon of Hong Kong”. It is now a popular instagram spot, especially during weekends, the place is packed.
Geographically, Pineapple Hill is a small hill located between Leung King Estate 良景邨 and Shan King Estate 山景邨, because of the road leading to the “Grand Canyon” starts from the foot of Pineapple Hill, therefore the informally-named “Grand Canyon of Hong Kong” is also being referred as Pineapple Hill.
Most people visit the Grand Canyon photo spot via the Castle Peak Range Road from Leung King Estate, this is the common easy trail because it takes less than 2 hours to reach and it is suitable for everyone regardless of the fitness level.
This mountain region is unlike the others in Hong Kong, there are many beautiful natural canyons and valleys that are worth seeing, looking like the Hong Kong’s famous Pineapple Bun 菠蘿包, with the yellow crusty surface. I guess this has also contributed to the name. Apart from seeing the valleys, there are also some interesting rock formations that you should not miss.
Therefore, I planned this long trail in order to see as many beautiful spots as I can in this mountain region.
My Trail:
” Lung Kwu Tan 龍鼓灘 > Upper Lung Kwu Tan 龍鼓上灘 > STAR ROCK 十字星石 > Fa Heung Lo Teng 花香爐頂 (310M) > BREAD ROCK 方包石 > MOON VALLEY 月牙谷 > Leung Tin Au 良田坳 > GRAND CANYON 良田坳大峽谷 > Kon Shan 乾山 (394M) > Po Tong Leng 寶塘嶺 (292M) > SINGLE LINE RIDGE 一線脊 > ROCK CRASHED VALLEY 大石墜谷 > SPIRITUAL VALLEY 靈虛谷 > Sheung Pak Nai 上白泥 ”
Distance: 20 KM
Duration: 9.5 hours
Elevation Gain: 1509 M
Difficulty: 5/5
(extremely slippery trail)
View: 5/5
How to get there & return:
1. Take MTR West Rail Line to Tuen Mun 屯門 station, then take either exit E/F2 and go to the Tuen Mun Station Bus Terminus.
2. Take bus #K52 to Lung Kwu Tan 龍鼓灘, get off at the final stop.
3. Your hike begins there!
4. You’ll finish your hike at Sheung Pak Nai 上白泥, you can then take the green minibus #33 to MTR Tin Shui Wai 天水圍 West Rail station, for returning to the city.
Hike Overview:
First of all, I’d advise you to download Hiking Trail HK App to help you navigate your way throughout the trail as there are too many splits along the way.
After getting off at Lung Kwu Tan 龍鼓灘, the final stop of the #K52 bus, your hike begins. Follow Lung Kwu Tan Road for about 1.5 kms to Upper Lung Kwu Tan 龍鼓上灘. You will see the Lau Ancestral Hall 劉氏宗祠 on the right side of the road. Walk pass the left side of Lau Ancestral Hall and you will see a metal stairway, go up and you are already on the mountain trail.
Slightly over 1 km on the trail and you will arrive at a rock looking like a pig, look for a hole under it and go inside, you’ll then see the beautiful photo spot, Star Rock 十字星石. Remember, always look for the colourful ribbons along the way to ensure you are on the right track.
From the Star Rock, you will hike for 2 kms via the mountain Fa Heung Lo Teng 花香爐頂 (310M) before arriving at the next photo spot, the Bread Rock 方包石. This 2 kms has many splits and it can get a little bit tricky, so keep checking on your Hiking Trail HK map and find your way to the Bread Rock, it is located next to the stream.
2 kms after Bread Rock and you’ll reach Moon Valley 月牙谷, that is the first valley you will see in this trail, it is a beautiful spot with the shape of a moon but please be careful while crossing the valley.
Keep going for around 2 kms and you will arrive on the Castle Peak Range Road, that’s Leung Tin Au 良田坳. Follow the road uphill for about 1.5 kms and you will reach the Grand Canyon of Hong Kong 良田坳大峽谷. There’s a signage warning you about the danger ahead, Grand Canyon is just behind it.
This spot is at its best during sunset where the colour of the canyon turns orange. From here, you have the option to exit the trail by either continuing on the Castle Peak Range Road until the end, towards Ha Pak Nai 下白泥, OR the other way, also on the Castle Peak Range Road, towards Leung King Estate 良景邨.
If you wish to continue, your next stop will be Kon Shan 乾山 (394M), it’s 2.5 kms away from Grand Canyon, the trail from there on will become challenging because it is very slippery until the end of the hike. It is important to have a good hiking shoe with good grip on all surfaces and terrain types.
Once you are on Kon Shan, you will be rewarded by the magnificent view, all your efforts will be paid off. Take some moments to unwind yourself soaking in the beauty of the surroundings.
From Kon Shan, you will descend for about 1.5 kms to Po Tong Leng 寶塘嶺 (292M), then you’ll cross the Single Line Ridge 一線脊, it is a very narrow and short ridge. Be extra cautious!
Now, you have your final 5 kms to the finishing point, you will see a few more beautiful valleys and at the same time enjoying the gorgeous sunset.
“ Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savouring the journey. ”
– Roy T. Bennett
This 20 kms hike is challenging not only because of the distance, mainly it’s because of the slippery rocks throughout the trail. Over 90% of the trail is not shaded, therefore doing this trail on a hot sunny day especially during the Spring and Summer months can be extremely strenuous.
Make sure you have at least 2L of drinking water for this hike and pack with you some snacks and sandwiches.
If you are up for challenging yourself with a hike which requires navigation skill & endurance, this is definitely the one you should attempt doing. It’s going to be very rewarding not only in terms of the view, but physically you will grow stronger. It also serves as a good training for you if you are planning for tougher hikes somewhere.
I hope you’ll enjoy this trail and let me know what you think.