A Family Friendly Stream Hike – Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream

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Fast Facts – 1. Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream (Most Family Friendly)

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Fast Facts – 2. Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream and Viewpoint

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Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream A Family Friendly Stream Hike in North Point Hong Kong

Put simply, summers in Hong Kong are hot and humid. And, while there are plenty of pools and beaches, we certainly enjoy taking a refreshing dip in Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream and lounging around on its shaded banks. Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream is VERY easy to get to, and you can actually take a taxi/bus to within ~600 meters of the shallow pools (if you don’t prefer the 773 steps from the Fortress Hill MTR Station up to the trailhead).

Fun For Everyone!

In any case, much of the hike to the pools is family friendly. In fact, our 16-month old (at the time of writing) son Peri hikes quite a bit of it himself – with our supervision of course.

And Julia, even at 7-months pregnant also loves this trail.

At the shallow pools, the terrain is gentle enough for Peri to splash around and wade in the water, and since there is plenty of shade, we like to chill in this area for quite a while.

A short distance farther up the trail, at the deeper pool, you can enjoy a proper dunk under the water. Either the early morning or the late afternoon is our favorite time to come here, as these are when we usually have the place entirely to ourselves.

If you and your family are keen to do a bit more hiking after you’ve visited Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream, you can continue on to the viewpoint for one of the best westward looking views of Hong Kong Island that we’ve ever found.

No mater what you do decide to do, definitely plan on adding this to your list of outdoor family adventures in Hong Kong. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to leave us a comment below, and we’ll get back to you just as soon as we can.

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Gear For Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream in North Point

Frankly, you don’t need much gear to have a safe and enjoyable experience at the stream. Below are the items we bring for ourselves and for Peri, but of course adjust as you see fit.

We recommend you bring the following items to be best prepared.

• Water
• Sun Protection
• Hiking Shoes
• Hiking Socks
• Snacks
• Insect Repellent

You may want the following items.

• Camera
• Baby Backpack
• Water Filter
• Baby Sun Suit

Below is the specific gear we use and why we use it.

Water

No matter how you decide to hike to the stream, you’ll want some water. If you take a taxi to the trailhead, we recommend 1 liter per person. If you hike up the the 773 steps from Fortress Hill MTR station, and/or you plan to also visit the viewpoint, we recommend 2 liters per person. Either way, we love these reusable and insulated bottles, and we think you will too.

Sun Protection

If you decide to check out the stream and the viewpoint, you will definitely want some sun protection. Even if you just chill at the stream, it won’t hurt to have a bit, especially for your kiddos.

Hiking Shoes

Any hiking and/or trail running shoes will do for Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream, as the terrain is super easy. We like these, but get ones that fit you best.

Hiking Socks

We love hiking in wool socks, no mater the season. This is because they are breathable, light and naturally help prevent blisters.

Snacks

These ProBars are soft enough for our 16-month old (at the time of writing) son Peri, and they are delicious enough for all of us. Basically, just make sure you and your little ones have enough snacks for this ~2 hour adventure.

Camera (Optional)

Our camera setup is weatherproof, powerful in terms of its optics and best of all is relatively lightweight. We love this setup, and we think you will too.

Baby Backpack (Optional)

Peri is able to hike from the trailhead to the shallow pools, but he is not yet capable of climbing the 773 stairs up from the Fortress Hill MTR station. So, we carry him up the steps in this Osprey Pocao AG Plus baby backpack. We LOVE this thing and can’t recommend it highly enough. Literally, it is what allows us to adventure outdoors as a family given Peri’s limited walking range.

Water Filter (Optional)

You certainly don’t need to drink from Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream, but if you want to, you’ll need a filter to make the water safe to drink. Any of these work fine, but we like the Sawyer and the Life Straw the best for a day hike such as this.

Baby Sun Suit (Optional)

When we take Peri to Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream, and if it’s a nice sunny day there are a few places where he plays that are in the full sun. Putting him in a sunsuit ensures he doesn’t get burnt, and it’s much easier than trying to apply and reapply sun cream.

Getting To And From Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream

Getting to Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream is SUPER easy! You’ve got two main options. (1) You can take the MTR to Fortress Hill MTR Exit A, or (2) you can take a taxi/bus to the Chinese International School. As we explain below, starting from the MTR is more of a workout than the taxi/bus option, so choose according to you and your kids’ ability levels, etc.

Difficulty, Duration, Distance and Elevation – Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream Hike

There are many ways to hike to Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream, and below we’ll cover two of them. We also have a downloadable map for each route in the next section. Again both of these routes can be shortened by about 1 km, if you skip the first 773 steps from Fortress Hill MTR up to the trailhead and instead take a taxi to the trailhead.

1. Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream (Most Family Friendly)

On this route you will start at Fortress Hill MTR. Then, you will hike to the stream (and of course to the two pools) before retracing your steps back down to the MTR station. This route is the easier to of the two, but it does not include the additional trail to the viewpoint. Again, if you take a taxi/bus to the Chinese International School, you will not have to climb the 773 steps up from the station, and thus it’ll be even easier.

NOTE: From the Chinese International School, there are about 140 steps that you will have to climb in order to reach the trail. Depending on your kids ability you may want to bring a baby carrier of a sorts to get them up these stairs.

Once you’re on the trail however, it’s super flat and not filled with many challenging elements. Peri loves to hike along here, however we closely supervise him, as there is a steep embankment on one side of the trail. From the Chinese International School to the shallow pools it’s about 600 meters. At Peri’s pace, and if he doesn’t stop very much, it takes us about 15 minutes.

However, Peri loves to check out the little drainage ditches and climb on the small rocks along the path, so sometimes it takes us closer to 25 minutes.

2. Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream and Viewpoint

On this route you will again start at Fortress Hill MTR, again hike to the stream (and pools), but you will also continue on to the stunning Sir Cecil’s Ride Viewpoint and then ultimately end at the Quarry Bay MTR station exit C.

This route is a bit more difficult than the first, but it is still very much a family friendly adventure if you are okay with carrying you little one for a good bit of it, or if you have older kids. Again, if you take a taxi/bus to the Chinese International School, you will not have to climb the 773 steps up from the station.

And again, keep in mind, from the Chinese International School, there are about 140 steps that you will have to climb in order to reach the trail. Depending on your kids ability you may want to bring a baby carrier of a sorts to help them with these stairs.

We regularly do this route with the viewpoint (and Peri rides in his Osprey for most of the trail after the stream) if we feel like hiking for a while after we’ve had some fun playing in the water.

Our Route On A Downloadable Map – Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream

General Notes

• We recommend you use the Guru Maps app (iOS/Android) to navigate to Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream (even though it is REALLY easy to find).
• Google Maps data for this area is incomplete. However, for your reference only, we have provided a Google Map below.
• See our route in pictures for visuals of everything.

Guru Maps

We highly recommend you download the Guru Maps app (iOS/Android), in order to follow our Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream route. Frankly, it’s really easy to find, but we always like having a map.

Once you have downloaded the app, simply download either the KML, GPX or GeoJSON file by clicking the link in the top right-hand corner of the map below, and then open the file using the Guru Maps app. The data will be saved to your mobile device, so you’ll be able to use it to navigate when you’re out on the trail, even if you’re offline.

• NOTE: The blue line is for Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream
• NOTE: The blue line plus the red line is for Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream and Viewpoint

Google Maps

We do not recommend using this Google Map to find Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream, as the underlaying map for this area is not complete and does not show the full route. We have provided it for reference only. To see the map menu, click the button .

Our Route In Pictures – Sir Cecil’s Ride Stream

At this sign post, the stairs are over, and we let Peri out to do some hiking!

Nearly At The Shallow Pools

Sometimes Peri takes a quick dip right in this area, even before the shallow pools.

If you want to continue on to the deep pool, head up past the shelter.

After you have enjoyed the deeper pool, if you want to head home, retrace your steps back down to the large signpost (the one pictured below – just ignore the red arrow), and then left on the main trail.

Alternatively, if you want to continue on to the viewpoint, retrace your steps back down to the large signpost, but instead turn right.

From here on, just use your map to make your way down to the Quarry Bay MTR Exit C, and you’ll be good to go!

Other Waterfall Hikes in Hong Kong

If you and your family enjoyed this Hong Kong outdoor adventure, you should seriously consider the Tai Shui Hang Waterfall Hike up Madai Stream. It is considerably more difficult than this one, but it can still be family friendly. If you’re keen to check out other family friendly waterfall hikes in Hong Kong, add the Bride’s Pool Waterfall Hike and the Waterfall Bay Hike to your list. For a more intense waterfall hike (not really family friendly though) check out Ng Tung Chai Waterfall Hike or even Ping Nam Stream. And, as always, if you have questions, comments or even concerns, please leave us a message below!

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