Short streams close to the city. Good for a quick route, after heavy rain, even a night hike. Choose the best combination for your requirements.

  • Beauty/fun: 5.5/10 cute waterfalls, none spectacular, a few pools (mostly man-made/enhanced), a bit of history around, within the jungle sometimes, with clear city view others. Relatively low flow on the upper sections, therefore to be enjoyed after/during rainy days.
  • Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 6/10 most of the route is easier than that but there are a couple of climbs that can be tricky the first time in Pak Zap + added danger due to rock quality in this tributary. The flow is manageable even with significant rain, but check thoroughly rocks in high climbs, above all after heavy rain.
  • The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)

See full screen & the Garmin track.

I had been in this area quite some times. On a strong South Wind T3 day, we went again to combine several streams in one day. Wind protected, lower than the peaks around.

Tai Koo Station exit B. Walk on the streets for a little while and arrive at the Reservoir Garden. Here you will see the bottom of the stream, completely concrete channeled. You can go down to it immediately. If so you might get into fences and find yourself within WW2 structures.

Most people avoid this initial part, just walking on the left side of the stream. Walk on concrete for a while. Continue on the left side and eventually, we arrived at this “waterfall”.

The concrete ends here and the stream separates into two tributaries

So first we went up the leftmost and most interesting Pak Zap stream (柏鰂石澗).

The first section is easy and well hiked. Small waterfalls with easy side paths, a couple of man-enhanced pools, and little more.

After crossing a main hiking path the stream becomes more interesting.

With some good scrambling sections. Check the rock quality before doing any tricky high movement. As mentioned, not the best.

Below is the most difficult part. Marked on the map. The waterfall is climbable, but it can look tricky the first time there. You can climb dry on its left, or go dry too on its right if you trust the ropes there (never recommended…). In our case, I climbed first and I set up the 20m rope for these guys to climb within a bit more securely.

Miguel decided to go on the right side using our rope. Continue for a while and connect with Mount Parker road.

Down 畢鰂石澗 through its left tributary (light blue line). The Right tributary (purple) checked before is similar = Dense vegetation and nothing interesting in any of the two.

You could avoid them both through several hiking paths around. The lower you go the better it gets. More open with a few waterfalls.

It is the tributary that I like the less anyhow.

We connected with the start and head up Siu Ma East stream (小馬東坑右源). It forks almost initially but gets back together just a little after. Steep, but almost never perpendicular. So you are walking continuously next to/in concatenated waterfalls for a while.

In no time coming out here.

Main hiking path and connect with Sir Cecil’s Ride. Little walk and arrive at the mini stream entrance.

A nice waterfall with city views and little more. Bushy once atop. Above all after the rocks of the last pic.

We left approx on the top of the stairs.

From here continue on an easy path and Siu Ma stream down.

In heavy rain on a May evening, we did the last 3 streams (Garmin track). Fun for those asking for night hike options. Just be secure with your shoes, headlamp, etc.

Everything you should know before stream hiking.