← Back to list

GUNUNG · Filipina

Mount Makiling

Bundok Makiling / Gunung Makiling

Source
Mount Makiling

Siluet Gunung Makiling dilihat dari South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) — bentuknya yang berbaring dikaitkan dengan legenda Maria Makiling.. Photo: source

Information

Elevation
1.090 m
Country
Filipina (PH)
Location / Range
Gunung berapi terisolasi di Pulau Luzon (perbatasan Laguna–Batangas); kawasan Makiling Forest Reserve
Mountain type
Stratovolcano tidak aktif (bagian Laguna Volcanic Field) — puncak berhutan lebat dengan fitur panas bumi
Volcanic?
Yes — volcano
Coordinates
14.1300, 121.2000
Difficulty
Jalur UPLB: pendakian minor (4/9); Makiling Traverse: pendakian mayor (5/9). Non-teknis tetapi melelahkan, jalur hutan panjang dan lembap.
Best Season
Musim kemarau (sekitar November–Mei); hindari puncak musim hujan yang memperbanyak limatik (lintah) dan risiko banjir bandang di Flatrocks
Permits & Rules
Wajib registrasi di Station 1 (UP College of Forestry) yang dikelola Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME), UPLB, dengan biaya masuk. Penyeberangan penuh (traverse) ke/dari sisi Sto. Tomas, Batangas dibatasi dan biasanya mensyaratkan pemandu, jadwal gerbang, serta cut-off waktu.
Hazards
Limatik (lintah hutan) terutama saat musim hujan; hutan tropis lebat yang mudah membuat tersesat; kelembapan tinggi; tanjakan curam berbantuan tali (mis. Station 27 dan Melkas Ridge); kabut di puncak; serta banjir bandang mendadak di area Flatrocks saat hujan.

Description

Mount Makiling (~1,090 masl) is an inactive stratovolcano straddling the provinces of Laguna and Batangas on Luzon, Philippines, and one of the country's most-hiked mountains. Its slopes form the Makiling Forest Reserve administered by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) — once the Philippines' first national park (1933) before being transferred to UPLB in 1963 for forestry education and research — and it is now designated an ASEAN Heritage Park. The mountain is rich in biodiversity, has geothermal features such as mud springs, and is bound to the legend of Maria Makiling, a guardian fairy whose reclining form is said to resemble the mountain's silhouette. Its two main trails are the UPLB (Los Baños) route to Peak 2 and the Makiling Traverse from the Sto. Tomas (Batangas) side. Its proximity to Metro Manila makes it a popular training climb and a living laboratory for forestry students.

Routes

Jalur UPLB / Mariang Makiling Trail (menuju Peak 2)

Pendakian minor, kesulitan 4/9, trail class 3
4–5 jam naik (day hike pulang-pergi)

The main and most popular trail up Mount Makiling, starting at the UP College of Forestry (UPLB) in Los Baños, Laguna. Hikers register at Station 1 and follow 30 numbered stations through dense tropical forest to Peak 2 (~1,090 masl). The hardest section is near Station 27, a near-vertical roped scramble; popular side trips include the Mud Springs (boiling mud crater) and Flatrocks, though Flatrocks is prone to flash floods in the rainy season.

Route Segments

  1. 1

    Station 1 — UP College of Forestry (jump-off & registrasi)

    Titik pendaftaran dan biaya masuk

  2. 2

    Mud Springs (sidetrip)

    Kawah lumpur mendidih, jejak aktivitas panas bumi

  3. 3

    Station 27 (bagian nyaris 90°)

    Tanjakan curam berbantuan tali

  4. 4

    Peak 2

    1.090 mdpl

    Puncak/terminus jalur; pandangan ke Laguna de Bay & Mt. Banahaw

Source

Makiling Traverse (MakTrav) — Sto. Tomas ke Los Baños

Pendakian mayor, kesulitan 5/9
5–8 jam (kadang 1–2 hari)

A cross-mountain route traversing from the Sto. Tomas side (Batangas) to the UPLB Los Baños side (Laguna). It begins at Sitio Jordan, with the Sipit trail climbing to the Melkas Ridge campsite and Peak 3 (1,020 masl), then continues along the demanding 'Wild Boar Trail' to Peak 2 (1,090 masl), the true summit, before descending the 30-station UPLB trail (~8.4 km). The steep, rocky, rope-assisted Melkas Ridge is the highlight and the most hazardous segment.

Route Segments

  1. 1

    Sitio Jordan, Brgy. San Miguel, Sto. Tomas (jump-off)

    Awal jalur sisi Batangas

  2. 2

    Melkas Ridge campsite

    Kemah utama sebelum punggungan berbatu berbantuan tali

  3. 3

    Peak 3

    1.020 mdpl

    Puncak berumput, sering untuk istirahat/makan siang

  4. 4

    Wild Boar Trail

    ⏱ 2–3 jam

    Segmen 'obstacle course' menuju Peak 2

  5. 5

    Peak 2

    1.090 mdpl

    Puncak sejati

  6. 6

    Turun jalur UPLB (30 station, ±8,4 km)

    Keluar di College of Forestry, Los Baños

Source

Climbing Experiences

Mount Makiling is one of the most beloved climbs among Filipino hikers — close to Metro Manila, cloaked in lush tropical forest, and steeped in the folklore of the guardian fairy Maria Makiling. The videos and guides below capture real experiences on its two main trails: the UPLB route from Los Baños to Peak 2, and the Makiling Traverse crossing from the Batangas side. From beginner vlogs to operator guides, they depict the humid forest terrain, rope-assisted scrambles, leeches (limatik), and the reward of reaching the true summit.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.

  1. 1 Wikipedia Mount Makiling en.wikipedia.org · EN
  2. 2 Wikidata Mount Makiling (Q1551536) wikidata.org · EN
  3. 3 Encyclopedia Mt. Makiling (1,090+) — UPLB Trail pinoymountaineer.com · EN
  4. 4 Media Mt. Makiling Hiking Guide 2026: New Rules, Limatiks, and the Paved Agony davestravelcorner.com · EN