Maclehose Trail

Maclehose Trail
264px ?
Length	100 miles (161 km)
Location	?
Trailheads	Pak Tam Chung, Tuen Mun
Elevation
Elevation gain/loss	?
Highest point	?
Lowest point	?
Hiking details
Season	Autumn, Winter
Months	September to February
Website	?
Direction	WEBO or EABO

Length: 100km

Standard Direction(s) of Travel: WEBO or EABO

Season: Autumn, Winter

Trail Association: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong

Sections

The Maclehose is divided into ten sections passing through eight country parks.

Section	Distance	Difficulty
1: Pak Tam Chung – Long Ke	10.6	*
2: Long Ke – Pak Tam Au	13.5	**
3: Pak Tam Au – Kei Ling Ha	10.2	***
4: Kei Ling Ha – Tate’s Cairn	12.7	***
5: Tate’s Cairn – Tai Po Road	10.6	**
6: Tai Po Road – Shing Mun	4.6	*
7: Shing Mun – Lead Mine Pass	6.2	**
8: Lead Mine Pass – Route Twisk	9.7	**
9: Route Twisk – Tin Fu Tsai	6.3	*
10: Tin Fu Tsai – Tuen Mun	15.6	*

Water

There are rare and unreliable opportunities to use natural streams for water. Water is readily available from the public toilets along the trail, which are unfortunately not always near campsites. A toilet symbol on a map does not necessarily indicate a place with tap water; it could be a drop toilet or a porta-potty.

1-2L carries are usually enough between water points.

Resupply

Being a short 'thru hike', there is no need for resupplies. However, there are opportunities to enjoy breakfast or dinner at cha chaan teng just off the beaches (Sai Wan, Ham Tin Wan) on Section 2 of the Maclehose Trail.

Weather and Seasonality

It is not ideal to hike in Hong Kong during the spring and summer months from March to August, when it’s humid, hot, often rainy, and typhoons are highly likely. September till November during autumn is when the skies are often clear and the temperature is cool. The coldest winter months of December till February can be sub-20°C even in the daytime, but overcast and cloudy skies make for less vivid scenery.

Permits and Regulations

No permits or campsite bookings are required to hike on the Maclehose Trail. However, one is supposed to only camp on AFCD campsites.

Information Resources

Apps

The route has been mapped on ViewRanger.

Getting To and From the Trail

Public transport via bus is available to Pak Tam Chung. The Tuen Mun MTR station is 5 to 10 minutes' walk away from the western terminus. The trail also often passes roads or paths that allow you to exit the trail at many points.

References

Guide to the Maclehose Trail by Benjamin Ho Maclehose Trail guide by Thruhiking HK