Hike to Mt. Yangbew & Mt. Kalugong in Benguet

If you’ve traveled to Baguio City, you’ve probably already been to the typical tourist spots like Camp John Hay, Burnham Park, Session Road, BenCab Museum and the Strawberry Farm. If you’re looking for an outdoor adventure relatively near the city, Mt. Yangbew and Mt. Kalugong in nearby La Trinidad offers two pleasant hiking trails accessible from Baguio City. The trails are beginner-friendly and easy to navigate even for newbie hikers and solo travelers. They’re bike-friendly too!

While waiting for Outside Slacker who participated in Akyathlon 2020 Skyrunning event in Benguet, I went on a solo DIY hike to check out the two mountains last Feb 2020. If you have limited time, you can opt to visit only one, but it’s easy enough to combine the two for a morning hike and end with a bit of coffee and cake at a cafe up in the mountains or a side trip to the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad.

Mt. Yangbew

With an elevation of 1648m, Mt. Yangbew is the tallest mountain in the municipality and is a popular destination for local hikers and mountain bikers. The mountain was previously known as Mt. Jambo/Jumbo, as it used to be a jamboree site for Americans.

The scenic mountain offers a grassy summit with limestone formations and panoramic views of La Trinidad and Baguio City. While it looks stunning in photos, it’s actually pretty easy to get to and is considered just a minor climb. You can get to the top with just a 20-30 minute hike.

Since it’s not too difficult, the hike is ideal for beginners, those traveling with kids or seniors or pets. I spotted a group with their pet dog at the summit. The summit is an amazing spot for mountain bikers as well. Though you’ll have to push bikes up in some sections, the trails are mostly bikeable at the summit.

Coming from Baguio City, I hailed a taxi going all the way to the jump-off point in Barangay Tawang. The driver wasn’t familiar with the route or the mountain, but I just gave instructions based on GoogleMaps coordinates. Depending on where you’re coming from in Baguio City, taxi fare can cost from P180-P250.

The trail going up to Mt. Yangbew is very well-established. Starting on a very steep paved road, the trail meanders off into a dirt path up the mountain, with markers signaling the way. There’s a very small parking area for 1-2 cars and motorcycles when the pavement ends.

While hiking, I passed a group of locals, who were carrying up pots and water jugs and little kids in tow for a picnic up in the mountains huffing from the exertion. I suggest you bring drinking water in reusable tumblers for the hike up to minimize trash.

Considering the minimal effort of the hike, the vast grassy summit offers a very rewarding view. The whole summit of Mt. Yangbew is covered in grasslands and shrubs reminiscent of Mt. Pulag’s landscape. It’s actually nicknamed “Little Pulag.” There were several groups of hikers and locals already up there enjoying the view, but it never felt crowded. You can just find your own quiet spot.

What makes Mt. Yangbew interesting are the limestone rock formations scattered all around, which make great photo op spots. It’s really sad to see that some rocks have been vandalized. The area also offers horseback rides for kids and tourists, but I was pretty content to just sit around and enjoy the view. You don’t get views like this every day living in Manila.

Tourists are required to pay an environmental fee when they get to the summit.

• Hikers: Local – P30/head, International -P50/head
• Students: P25/head
• Overnight Campers: P 100/head
• Bikers: P30/head locals, P25 students, P50 International
• Horseback riding: P300/hour, P150 for 30 minutes, P25 for picture taking only

Mt. Kalugong

After soaking in the scenery at Mt. Yangbew, I backtracked the same way down and walked along the road to Tawang Barangay Hall, the jump-off point for another nearby mountain with its own eco-trail – Mt. Kalugong.

Mt. Kalugong is an eco-park where visitors can just enjoy nature-tripping, forest bathing, and camping. It gets its name from the local term for hat. The main entrance is located from another main road Barangay Cruz, that’s completely paved, but if you’re coming from Mt. Yangbew, it’s easier to just cut across the mountain and hike going all the way there.

From Tawang Barangay Hall, another steep road up led to a public cemetery and dirt path. Since I was alone, it felt a bit creepy to pass through the portion of the graveyard and tombstones, but the rest of the trail was very scenic. The winding trail was flanked by tall pine trees and limestone rock formations.

After another 20-30 minutes of trekking at a leisurely pace, I reached the main eco-trail area and cultural village, which contains picnic tables, camping grounds, native huts, cabins, hammocks and swings under a grove of pine trees. It looks like a nice peaceful place to stay overnight if you’re with friends and family.

Take note that Mt. Kalugong is private property and they charge an entrance fee of P100 for adults for the upkeep of the trails. While most of the city feels very urbanized and developed, the eco-park still has the old Baguio vibe with pine trees. Those who want to stay overnight can camp out in tents or stay in one of the cabins.

Limestone rock formations dot the mountain landscape and offer an opportunity for rock scrambling. From various vantage points, you can get stunning panoramic views of La Trinidad valley, Mt. Yangbew, Santo Tomas, Mt. Pokgong in Tublay, and parts of Baguio City.

• Entrance Fee: P100 for adults – P80 for seniors and PWDs with IDs
• Overnight Stay: Poor Man’s Cabin with toilet – P900 (entrance registration included, good for 2 pax)
• Cabin with public toilets: P800 (good for 2 pax)
• Tent pitching fee: P350/head
• Rent a tent: P450/head
• Additional bonfire: P150
• Breakfast and meals catering is available upon request
• For reservation and inquiries: 0998-5599498 / 0907-3792278

Mt. Kalugong Cafe / Kape-an

What made the hike even more rewarding was dining at the quaint cafe perched on the rocks. I first heard about Mt. Kalugong Cafe / Kape-an from travel blogger/foodie friends and wanted to check it out for myself. The cafe serves brewed and iced coffee and snacks with an awesome view, which is always welcome after a nature hike.

The interiors are just warm, cozy and inviting. The decor combines traditional Cordillera elements like wooden tables and chairs and traditional statues with the modern coffee shop vibes. There’s a cute book nook in one corner, a hammock in another, and lots of knick-knacks and coffee-related memorabilia decorating the space.

Kape-an offers hot and cold beverages such as coffee, tea latte, hot chocolate, iced coffee, fresh lemonade, milk tea, frappes and smoothies at affordable prices. Their premium cakes include Red Velvet, Matcha Green Tea, Blueberry Cheesecake, Carrot Cake, Pancakes and Waffles with Bacon & Egg. I wanted to try everything on the menu, but I settled on a slice of carrot cake and Latte Jen Waray, a latte with Almond Roca.

Since the cafe sits along the edge of the mountain, diners can get a panoramic view of La Trinidad town including the Strawberry Farm, San Jose Church, and the Benguet State University.

From the cafe, it was a 15-minute walk down the narrow paved road leading to the main highway. Distance-wise, it may not look like much, but one thing you should know about the roads in Cordillera, they’re really steep. The 900-meter distance has a 136-meter elevation gain. I was glad I was going down instead of up. I encountered a couple of ladies in improper hiking footwear heading up who were also looking for Mt. Kalugong.

Since the road is paved, it’s possible to take vehicles all the way up. Motorists should be careful driving up and shift to low gear especially in the hairpin turns. But I’m glad I passed the scenic route traversing from the other side going through the cultural village instead of passing the main route.

Kalugong Road eventually led back to the urban sprawl and Halsema Highway. From there, I just caught a jeep back to Baguio City to meet up with Art for a nice lunch and craft beer after his race. Overall, it was a morning well-spent with a hike to not just one, but two mountains. The unique location and delicious food at Kape-an cafe felt like a very nice reward that made the extra exertion of the hike all worth it.

Travel tips and useful information

• For inquiries, please contact Mt. Kalugong Cultural Village / Mt. Kalugong Kape-an Cafe directly.
• Number: 0949-8980328 / 0999-4984848
• Email: mtkalugong@gmail.com
• It’s best to visit Mt. Yangbew and Mt. Kalugong in the early mornings or late afternoons for the best sunrise and sunset views.
• There’s a possibility of witnessing a “sea of clouds” if you hike early.
• You don’t need a guide to hike the trails.
• Allot 3-4 hours to visit both mountains and the cafe at a leisurely pace.
• Be careful when climbing the rock formations and taking photos. Follow only the designated trails.
• Please don’t litter. Help preserve the beauty of the area throwing your trash in the designated garbage bins.
• Please don’t leave your trash on, under or between the rocks and crevices.
• No smoking and vandalizing on the rocks.
• You can bring your own food if you want to cut costs, but bringing in alcoholic drinks (wines, gin, beer, etc.) is not allowed.
• Eating on the rocks is not allowed. Make use of picnic areas.
• There are toilets in the picnic area at Mt. Kalugong.