Gunung Sawal

Information

Elevation

1.764 m

Country

Indonesia (ID)

Location / Range

Gunung Sawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Ciamis Regency, West Java

Mountain type

Non-volcanic mountain

Volcanic?

No (non-volcanic)

Coordinates

-7.1891, 108.2717

Difficulty

Moderate — about 2 hours from Tembong Village (938 masl), passing through coffee plantations and mixed pine forest

Best Season

April–October (dry season)

Hazards

The trail can be confusing at the trailhead; wild area inhabited by leopards; dense forest

Description

Gunung Sawal is a non-volcanic peak at 1,764 metres in Ciamis Regency, West Java, protected as Gunung Sawal Wildlife Sanctuary (Suaka Margasatwa Gunung Sawal) covering roughly 5,400 hectares, gazetted in 1979. The sanctuary is one of the last refuges for the Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) and the Javan hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi) in the eastern Priangan highlands — both critically endangered species. The reserve also shelters Javan lutungs, long-tailed macaques, and numerous endemic bird species. The main hiking trail starts at Tembong village (938 m a.s.l.) on the northern slope, passes through coffee and pine plantations, and reaches the highest point — called Karantenan — in roughly two hours. The mountain's silhouette is incorporated into the official emblem of Ciamis Regency, reflecting its cultural significance to the local community.