The Essential Guide to Exploring the Mengkte Ancient Trail

Mengkte Ancient Road Travel Guide: Don't Rush In Blindly, I've Already Written Down All the Pitfalls I Stepped Into

Let me throw out a strong warning: If you go in without reading this, you'll definitely cry on your way out.

Before I went to Mengkte, I saved several posts on Xiaohongshu about “fairy grasslands + filtered photos”, but when I got there, it was a completely different story—dusty roads, no signal, and not enough cash left me hungry, and I almost got chased by storm clouds. The first thing I did when I got home was write this “self-used blood and tears version” guide, so no one has to go through it again.

Pre-Trip Warnings

Your phone will be a brick: Basically, there’s no signal after 20 minutes of entering, both Gaode and Baidu maps are down, so if you're relying on online navigation, give up now.
Record Navigation Voice: I cached the offline route using WiFi at the visitor center, but later found out only the first 10 km is paved; the rest depends on the driver's eyeballs to find the way.
Make sure to bring enough cash: No scanning codes in the scenic area, and the herders can't accept transfers. 200 yuan for fuel + food + horse riding, I was left with only 50 in my pocket, luckily my travel companions had more cash on hand.

Ticket Price & Operating Hours

Item	Price	Notes
Shuttle Ticket	30 yuan/person	Round trip from Visitor Center to Xiaotian Lake, valid for the day
Self-Drive Pass	200 yuan/car	Up to 5 people, valid for 48 hours, no worries about overnight camping
Opening & Closing Hours	Opens at 8:30 AM, Closes at 7:00 PM	No entry after 6:00 PM; it gets dark in the mountains after 6:30 PM—don't want to drive on bumpy roads in the dark, wrap it up early

Real Road Condition Share

Paved road → Dirt road → "Dust Maker": After 10 km of smooth pavement, it turns into a washboard dirt road.
Rain = Mud Pits: It rained the day before, and although the road was slightly better the next morning, the water in the pits hadn't dried up—scraping the bottom of the car isn't a joke; I saw a SUV getting towed.
Speed limit of 30 km/h: The driver shook us all the way, and the backseat got bounced up to hit the ceiling three times.

Friends entering after 3 PM: It’s a dust storm level ten, even my nostrils were black; photo? Just covered in dust!

Best Lighting and Photo Times

Morning 8:30-11:00: The sun just peeks over the high mountains, painting the meadows golden green 🌿, good for portrait shots without harsh shadows.
After 6:00 PM: The mountains block the sun completely, turning everything into a “pitch-black” mode; drones will automatically return after 2 minutes (poor signal + strong winds).
Conclusion: If you're not camping, sleep in and then head to the scenic area; for campers, reach the snow mountain hot springs in the evening, wake up early for sunrise, it's worth it!

Scenic Area Shuttle Route & Parking Tips

Official Order
Visitor Center → Canyon Scroll → Majestic Gate → Plateau Meadow → Snow Domain Hot Springs → Stone Forest Rapids → Snow Mountain Hot Springs Area → Xiaotian Lake

Wait for the Shuttle: The scenic circulator is not frequent, it runs every hour—if you miss it, you'll end up waiting another half hour.
Self-Drive Parking: There are simple pull-off spots along the dirt road; don't do what I did and try to park on the roadside, you'll slide straight into the mud, and ended up needing a herder's horse to get out.

Hidden Photo Spots & Tips from the Scene

Stop	Photo Highlights	My Pitfalls
Canyon Scroll	There’s a white horse “White Moonlight” on the slope, its mane looks magical in the wind	The slope is steep and the soil loose; I almost slid down going too fast
Majestic Gate	A wide angle can twist the river into an S-shape	Shooting against the light makes faces dark, don’t forget to bring a reflector
Snow Domain Hot Springs	Wooden bridge + fir trees + background of snow mountains—90% similar to that Narati viral photo	The bridge is narrow; two people side by side will block the path
Stone Forest Rapids	Giant rocks + waterfall, shutter speed 1/200 seconds to catch splashes	The rocks are mossy and slippery; just one foot slipped and I split wide
Snow Mountain Hot Springs Area	30℃ sulfur hot spring foot bath, background is the eternal snow cap	After soaking for 10 minutes, my phone lens was completely fogged up from the sulfur steam
Xiaotian Lake	Horse riding to this mountaintop secret spot takes about 1 hour, the lake is unrealistically blue	The horseman said “if it rains heavily, we can’t go”, ask about the weather in advance

Want a reflection of the snow mountain: Before and after noon (12:00), the lake is calm, wait about 10 minutes, and snapping 20 shots will likely get you one perfect photo.

On-Site Price List (Tested)

Food	Price	My Rating
Fresh Grilled Lamb Skewers	8 yuan/skewer	Fatty meat is crispy, lean meat is tender; 8 bucks for a piece, worth it
Lamb Soup	30 yuan/bowl	Strong pepper taste, warms you up after finishing
Fresh Honey	150 yuan/kg	Honey harvested right on-site, with beeswax to chew; it’s just heavy
Kumis	10 yuan/small cup	Sour enough to refresh your mind; don't be curious if you're not used to it

Payment Method: All cash only, WeChat/Alipay are blank screens; I felt so awkward trying to pull out my phone.

Final Two Sentences

Bring enough cash, enter early, check the weather before you head out, and leave the rest to luck and sunscreen.