A Quiet Mountaintop Where No One Appeared for 30 Minutes
I’ve never been to the Silver Grass Festival, but two days ago, my wife said she wanted to see an open mountain peak.
So we decided to visit Mindung Mountain, a place known for its wide, treeless summit.
For nearly half an hour, it felt like the entire mountain belonged to us — just the two of us, the wind, and the endless view.
No crowds, no noise, only the sound of wind brushing through silver grass.
When we finally reached the top, there wasn’t a single person around.
It felt like a date in the sky.
The Doline — A Pond Formed 550 Million Years Ago
At the very top, there’s a small round pond called a Doline.
The rocks on Mindung Mountain are made of limestone, and over millions of years, rainwater slowly dissolved them, creating this natural basin.
Geologists say the Mindung Mountain Doline was formed about 550 million years ago.
Standing beside it, it’s hard not to think about how short our lives are compared to time written in stone.
The Shortest Trail — Course No. 2 (3.3 km, 90 minutes)
Not long after you start walking, the sound of water greets you first.
The trail begins as a gentle forest road, making it feel more like a quiet countryside walk than a hard mountain hike.
As you walk, you might wonder, “Hmm, should we have come by car?”
But soon the thought changes into, “It’s actually nice to walk a little more. It feels like I’m walking in the countryside near my grandmother’s house.”
At one of the crossroads, you may hesitate for a moment — “Where should I go?” — but there is a clear signboard waiting there, so don’t panic.
As you go up a bit more, the village below comes into view. The scenery is so peaceful that you’ll probably stop to take a photo or two.
Finally, the Summit of Mindung Mountain
After a while, the top of Mindung Mountain finally starts to appear in front of you.
A small building at the top comes into view, and once you pass the hill beside it, you’ll know you are close.
When we arrived at the entrance area, we saw several cars parked there. For a moment, I regretted it and thought, “Maybe we should’ve brought our car…”
Right behind the parking area, there is a public restroom. It was quite dark and not very pleasant, to be honest.
Since this is the only restroom from the parking lot up to the summit, it’s better to use the facilities in the main parking lot if you can.
I couldn’t help but wonder what it’s like during the crowded Silver Grass Festival. How do they manage all the visitors with just this one restroom?
From this point, the actual mountain course begins.
It’s about 1 km and 35 minutes from here to the top.
Stairs That Never Seem to End
From here, the trail turns into a long series of wooden stairs.
Just when you think, “If I just go up to that point, it’ll be over,” another long staircase appears in front of you.
This pattern repeats two or three times. The stairs were longer than I expected, and I had a harder time here than I thought I would.
So we decided to take short breaks along the way, enjoying the wind and the view instead of rushing to the top.
What We Brought — Small Tips
- I didn’t really need hiking boots. Comfortable walking shoes were enough for this course.
- We brought three 500ml bottles of water, but because it was cold, we only drank about one and a half.
- For snacks, beef jerky and an energy bar were enough for the round trip.
- As with any mountain, the weather can change quickly, so a light windbreaker is highly recommended.
- When we were coming down, the sky was clear, but a few small hailstones suddenly started to fall. It was a good reminder that mountain weather is always full of surprises.
If you’re looking for a quiet mountain date, with wide open views and the sound of wind instead of people, Mindung Mountain Course No. 2 might be a perfect choice.
