Luk Chau Stone Forest | Ma On Shan to Sai Kung

Luk Chau Stone Forest is the largest stone forest in Hong Kong, and there are many interesting rocks such as “Crocodile Rock” and “Dragon Boat Rock”, and more along the way.

However, there is no official hiking trail for Luk Chau Stone Forest and Luk Chau Shan, it mainly relies on the ribbons to direct, and it needs to climb in the stone forest, it is not a friendly trial for beginners, it should walk accompanied with experienced hikers.

Distance - 8km
Duration - 4.7 hours (Includes rest & photos)
Difficulty - 4/5
Intermediate to Advance

Starting from Tai Shui Hang MTR station, we walked toward Mui Tsz Lam Road, it took about 10-12 minutes, and it should be easy to find when using a GPS Map.

Once we’ve reached Mui Tsz Lam Road, continue to follow the paved road until the entrance to Mui Tsz Lam Village at the information board.

From there, follow along the small bridge with blue railings toward the catchwater area. After passing the small bridge, you will notice a short trail heading up on the right with a rope, head up and it leads to Shek Lung Tsai Trail.

The trails along the way are shaded and mainly consist of rocks and dense forest, the trail paths are clear and well-marked with ribbons.

Continue to follow the trail until you arrive at the deserted village, go left, and cross the wall that heads toward Ng Family Ancestral Hall.

Pass the Ancestral Hall on the right-hand side then continue to follow the trail up heading deeper into the forest, there are a lot of ribbon markers along the trail left and right, so we choose to follow the left as the trail seems more visible than the other overgrown on the right.

Once you get closer to bigger rocks along the trail, this indicates that you are about to enter the stone forest. We prepare to wear our gloves for climbing, and the start of the climb is a bit steep already.

Be aware that along the stone forest, there is no right way or fixed route to climb it, you just have to navigate through it carefully and pay attention to the most obvious way to reach the top.

Also, remember to pack all your belongings well as it will be very difficult to get them back once it falls in between the rocks along the stone forest.

There are also a few ribbon markers attached to tree branches along the stone forest as guides, we recommend locating them to help you find your way back toward the correct trail.

The area of the Luk Chau Stone Forest is relatively small, and the goal is to exit on the right of the highest point where the trees are filled with ribbons.

Check your GPS map and follow the directions toward Shek Lung Tsai.

After passing the rocky sections of the trail, we came back onto the trail heading towards the direction of Sai Kung.

Follow along the trail until you see the Shek Lung Tsai Rock Cluster, explore the nearby area as the Crocodile Rock and Dragon Boat Rock or Canoe Rock are within the same area.

Remember to be careful while exploring and taking photos along the rock formations, safety first.

Once we were done admiring the rock formation, we continued along the Ma On Shan Country Trail heading towards Ngong Ping Viewing Point.

It was a foggy day during our hike and visibility at the Ngong Ping Viewing Point was zero, so we continued to head down along Ma On Shan Country Trail and follow the sign to Tai Shui Tseng.

Continue downhill and enjoy the scenery of the Sai Kung Sea along the way. The trail is a bit rugged but not steep, it takes around half an hour to descend before arriving at the end of the country trail at Wong Chuk Shan New Village.

Walk along the road towards the crossroad to locate the bus back to Sai Kung Town Center or you can walk down along Po Lo Che Road to Hiram’s Highway and catch the bus back to the city.

Overall, this hike is delightful, however, the only hard part is the section along the stone forest and navigating along that area. The rest of the trails were well-maintained and plenty of markers to avoid getting off the trail.

We enjoyed the rock formations and the area of the rock clusters. It would be better if the weather were clear as the view would be amazing.

We recommend bringing at least 2 liters of hydration and a few snacks. Wear weather-appropriate apparel and good grip comfortable hiking shoes.

Wear gloves while clambering up the stone forest and remember to be cautious along the section of the stone forest.