Golden Whip Stream

金鞭溪

A 7.5-km canyon trail within Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, following a clear stream beneath the peaks; it is the easiest route in Wulingyuan and the closest to the pillars.

Golden Whip Stream flows from Laomowan (the forest park ticket gate) to Shuirao Simen, about 7.5 km in total. It is named after Golden Whip Rock, a cliff about 380 meters high beside the stream, and it is the only route in Wulingyuan that runs along the valley floor. The trail is paved with stone slabs along the stream and has almost no climbing. On both sides rise towering quartzite sandstone pillars and primeval secondary forest. Along the way are Golden Whip Rock, Divine Eagle Guarding the Whip, Splitting Mountain to Save Mother, Wenxing Rock, Zicao Pool, Thousand-Mile Reunion, Leaping Fish Pool and Shuirao Simen. It was also a filming location for the 1986 TV series “Journey to the West.” The full hike takes about 2.5–3 hours, or you can walk only the first half to Zicao Pool and return the same way. Suggested itinerary: enter from the forest park gate in the morning, walk Golden Whip Stream first, then take the Bailong Elevator from Shuirao Simen up to Yuanjiajie. This is the most classic one-day route. If you don't want to walk the whole way, you can climb to Yuanjiajie from the Thousand-Mile Reunion point via the Luancuan Slope Trail (about 1 hour of steep climbing, free). Entry is included in the Wulingyuan combined ticket, so no separate purchase is needed. Notes: Macaques gather along the stream and will snatch plastic bags and food, so keep snacks in your backpack. Stone slabs are slippery after rain, and there are mosquitoes in summer. Shuirao Simen has an eco-shuttle stop where you can transfer to the Shili Gallery or Tianzi Mountain.

Golden Whip Stream

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