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PAINANI · RUN / LOCAL

21 · New Territories, Hong Kong

The MacLehose Trail

Cross Hong Kong's New Territories from Pak Tam Chung to Tuen Mun: 100 km, ten sections, beaches to Tai Mo Shan.

Trail runningHikingOne wayHard
100 kmDistance4,850 mElevation gainHarderSite gradeSai KungNearest base

Site grade

HarderFeatured · Book difficulty: Hard

100 kilometres and 4,850 m of gain, split into ten sections whose steep stone staircases and paved descents load legs differently than dirt.

The experience

Ten sections alternate runnable pavement with steep stone steps; the accumulated climbing, not the distance markers every 500 metres, decides how the day goes.

The Hong Kong government counts eight country parks along the line, and the trail has carried the Oxfam Trailwalker team race since 1986.

Named after a former Hong Kong governor, the trail crosses eight country parks between Sai Kung and Tuen Mun and is cited by the government as one of National Geographic's 'World's 20 Dream Trails'.

Where the sources disagreeLong stretches are concrete — steps, village paths and catchwater roads — not dirt; summer heat and humidity make the trail a different, harder proposition than the cool-season photographs suggest, and autumn weekends crowd the Sai Kung sections.

Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartPak Tam Chung, Sai KungFinishTuen MunDirectionEast to west, point-to-point
  1. 01Pak Tam Chung
  2. 02High Island Reservoir East Dam
  3. 03Long Ke
  4. 04Sai Wan
  5. 05Ma On Shan
  6. 06Lion Rock area
  7. 07Needle Hill
  8. 08Grassy Hill
  9. 09Tai Mo Shan
  10. 10Tai Lam Chung Reservoir
  11. 11Tuen Mun

Route sections

01 · The Reservoir RoadPak Tam Chung to Long Ke (Section 1)
Paved road around High Island Reservoir ends at the east dam and its hexagonal rock columns.02 · The BeachesLong Ke to Pak Tam Au (Section 2)
Headland climbs link Long Ke, Sai Wan and Ham Tin; the trail runs directly across the sand.03 · The Ridge WorkPak Tam Au to Tai Po Road (Sections 3 to 7)
The middle sections climb and drop over Ma On Shan and the Kowloon hills, with stone staircases doing most of the accounting.04 · Over Tai Mo Shan, Then DownTai Po Road to Tuen Mun (Sections 8 to 10)
The trail crosses its highest ground on Tai Mo Shan, then descends to reservoir catchwater roads for the long finish.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

Subtropical: hot, humid summers with typhoon risk; cooler, drier air arrives in autumn and lasts into winter.

Season & timing

Managed seasonOpen year-roundBest windowOctober to December, after typhoon season, in cooler and drier air.Race timingOxfam Trailwalker: 20-22 November 2026SurfaceConcrete paths and steps, dirt singletrack, stone staircases, catchwater roads and beach sandDirectionEast to west, point-to-point

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

High Island Reservoir East Dam

02

Sai Wan beach crossing

03

Kowloon hills ridgeline

04

Tai Mo Shan crossing

05

Tuen Mun finish marker

TEAM RACE SINCE

1986

The trail that carries the Oxfam Trailwalker

Oxfam Hong Kong has run its 100 km Trailwalker on this line since 1986; the 2026 edition is set for 20-22 November.

Access & logistics

AccessStart at Pak Tam Chung, reached by bus or taxi from Sai Kung town; each section break sits near a road, so the trail splits cleanly into day runs.PermitsNo permit is required; country park rules apply throughout.BookingsNone for the trail itself; Oxfam Trailwalker entry is a separate team registration.WaterCarry what each section needs; kiosks and villages are unevenly spaced and some sections have no reliable refill.FoodSai Kung and section-break villages have shops; the central and western sections have long gaps with none.Mobile coverageGenerally available on ridges; gaps in valleys and remote coastal sections.

Key hazards

  • ▲Heat and humidity
  • ▲Long gaps between water points
  • ▲Steep stone staircases
  • ▲Typhoon and thunderstorm closures
  • ▲Crowding on Sai Kung sections in autumn
  • ▲Feeding or approaching macaques

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, weather warnings and country park notices.

Check official trail information →Request this run →

We track ground truth. Send a field note after your run: three photos, ground condition, the signature moment, the local anchor.

Official sources

Last verified 2026-08-12 · Record CETC-RUN-021 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: Underwaterbuffalo · CC BY-SA 4.0