No spoilers! Mogan Mountain Self-Drive Hiking to Enjoy Autumn – Tips from Shanghai Locals

Autumn scenery in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai is beautiful but short-lived. If the weekend weather is clear and you don’t go out to play, it’s like wasting the weekend, and wasting the weekend is like wasting life. So cherish life and make sure to go out more in autumn. 🎯 Mogan Mountain is a well-known spot that combines natural scenery and cultural history. It is well developed and reachable within 2 hours by car from Shanghai without traffic jams. 🎯 The highlight of Mogan Mountain’s autumn scenery is the red maple trees. Enjoy the sunlight shining through the fiery red and golden leaves, and admire the villas, castles, and churches on the mountain. 📒 As usual, we set off on Friday night and stayed in Deqing County. I think the accommodation in Deqing County offers better value than the mountain homestays. The next morning, it’s a half-hour drive to the scenic area. 🅿️ Yucun has multiple parking lots. There are many homestays and restaurants between the parking lots and the hiking starting point where you can park. The parking fee is generally between 30-50 yuan. ⚠️ It’s not recommended to park too far away in Mogan Mountain because it’s a mature scenic area with well-developed and paved roads both on and off the mountain (much better developed than Shiziku). Even in the busy autumn season, it doesn’t feel too crowded (the absolute number of people is high, but relatively fewer compared to West Lake or Siming Mountain). There’s also little traffic jam when going down, so there’s no need to park far away to avoid traffic. 🧗 For the hiking route, we took the 10km loop. This classic loop can be found on both 2bu and 6zhi apps. The intensity is actually quite high because it starts with a continuous uphill climb straight to the summit, then twists and turns to see the red maple trees, villas, and churches. After that, there’s a steep downhill section. The downhill trail is all dirt and sand paths, which can be very slippery without hiking shoes. ⚠️ The hiking route isn’t too crowded. The first half has more people, but many only hike halfway and take a shuttle up the mountain. The downhill trail is rough but has very few people, offering a wild and natural experience. Little Red’s 📖 spoiler-avoidance post mainly complains about the queue for the scenic area shuttle bus, which is not a problem for hikers. Plus, hikers are usually exempt from the entrance fee, so no need to worry about that. Overall, the experience is good!