Desert, Steppe, Coast and Forest · 15 routes · 7 regions
Ground that is not mountain: dunes, grassland, shoreline, taiga.
15 of them here, grouped by region. Each entry carries distance, climb and top height, and the last column says what a foreign passport gets you. See all six kinds, or the background on hiking.
6 routes
North China (华北)
| Route | Where | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Arxan Forest Trek (Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia) (阿尔山森林徒步（内蒙古兴安盟）)Ten to twenty kilometres on made path through lava field, larch and birch, past crater lakes, between 1,000 and 1,300 m. The Tianchi steps number 516 to 998. | Inner Mongolia | Passport is enough A, easy Seasonal |
| Badain Jaran Desert Edge Trek (Alxa, Inner Mongolia) (巴丹吉林沙漠边缘线（内蒙古阿拉善）)Ten to twenty kilometres along the desert edge past lakes and singing sand, reached by four-wheel drive. Heat and dehydration are the risks, and the deep crossing needs a vehicle and a guide. | Inner Mongolia | Passport is enough B, strong walker |
| Hulunbuir Grassland Trek (Inner Mongolia) (呼伦贝尔草原徒步（内蒙古）)Five to fifteen kilometres across level grassland, by the meandering river and birch stands. A longer herding line runs 32 km over two or three days. | Inner Mongolia | Passport is enough A, easy |
| Kubuqi Desert Trek (Ordos, Inner Mongolia) (库布齐沙漠徒步)Twenty-two kilometres over two days from Engebei to Xiangshawan, across moving and fixed dunes. A shorter taste is five to eight kilometres in half a day. | Inner Mongolia | Passport is enough B, strong walker |
| Tengger Desert Five Lakes Traverse (Alxa, Inner Mongolia) (腾格里五湖连穿)Fifty kilometres over two or three days between five coloured salt lakes at 1,200 to 1,400 m. An off-road vehicle covers the same ground in about four hours. | Inner Mongolia | Passport is enough B, strong walker |
| Ulan Butong Grassland Trek (Chifeng, Inner Mongolia) (乌兰布统草原徒步（内蒙古赤峰）)Ten to twenty kilometres over rolling grassland with birch and lake, one or two days. The full circuit is 50 to 80 km and needs a vehicle. | Inner Mongolia | Passport is enough A, easy |
1 route
Northeast China (东北)
| Route | Where | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Beijicun Arctic Village Trek (Mohe, Heilongjiang) (大兴安岭北极村林区徒步（黑龙江漠河）)Eight kilometres of level boardwalk along the Heilongjiang through larch and birch, with no climbing. Winter here runs to minus thirty or forty. | Heilongjiang | Passport is enough A, easy |
1 route
East China (华东)
| Route | Where | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Pingtan Island Coastal Trek (Fuzhou, Fujian) (平潭岛海岸徒步（福建福州）)Five to fifteen kilometres of the northern coastal corridor on level concrete path, past wind turbines, black sand and stone houses. The Junshan section adds 300 m; the full island circuit is 200 km. | Fujian | Passport is enough A, easy |
1 route
Central China (华中)
| Route | Where | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Shennongjia Primeval Forest Trek (Hubei) (神农架原始森林徒步（湖北）)Ten to twenty kilometres on made path through old forest, meadow and karst. Shennong peak is 3,106 m and the altitude is felt. The unmade line runs 65 to 75 km and needs experience. | Hubei | Passport is enough B, strong walker |
2 routes
South China (华南)
| Route | Where | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Dongchong–Xichong Coastal Traverse (Shenzhen) (东西冲海岸线穿越（深圳）)Six to seven and a half kilometres of granite coast, reef and sea cliff, with scrambling over rock and a few chain-assisted sections. Tide-dependent, and impassable at high water. | Guangdong | Passport is enough A, easy |
| Weizhou Island Loop Trek (Beihai, Guangxi) (涠洲岛环岛徒步（广西北海）)A volcanic island with a high point of 79 m: fifteen to twenty-five kilometres around it on level road, or five to ten on foot through the sea-eroded sections. | Guangxi | Passport is enough A, easy |
1 route
Southwest China (西南)
| Route | Where | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Maolan Karst Forest Trek (Libo, Guizhou) (茂兰喀斯特森林徒步)Karst forest with caves and pinnacle hills. The Qinglongtan water line is three kilometres in three hours; the doline forest crossing is six and needs a guide. | Qiannan (Libo), Guizhou | Passport is enough A, easy |
3 routes
Northwest China (西北)
| Route | Where | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Kalajun Grassland Trek (Qiongkushitai – Kalajun, Ili) (喀拉峻草原徒步（琼库什台—喀拉峻）)Twenty kilometres from Qiongkushitai to Kalajun across flowering high meadow, walkable in a day. The full circuit runs 53 to 120 km depending on the version, two or three days with light packs and supply points. | Ili (Tekes), Xinjiang | Passport is enough B, strong walker |
| Kuerdening Grassland-Forest Trek (Ili, Xinjiang) (库尔德宁草原森林徒步（新疆伊犁）)Five to fifteen kilometres through spruce forest and river valley between 1,500 and 2,500 m. The driving circuit runs 30 to 72 km from Zhonggou to Donggou. | Xinjiang | Passport is enough A, easy Seasonal |
| Nalati Grassland Trek (Ili, Xinjiang) (那拉提草原徒步（新疆伊犁）)Five to ten kilometres across the high meadow between 1,800 and 2,500 m, among spruce and Kazakh pasture. Shuttle buses reach the main points. | Xinjiang | Passport is enough A, easy Seasonal |
Walking It Legally
Some of these need a Tibet permit, a border pass or a registered club behind you, and a few are closed outright with fines attached. Tell our local team which route and which week, and they will say what has to be arranged and what is currently shut.