Golden Autumn Self-Drive Tour in the Beijing Area｜A Hidden Valley with Few People and Stunning Scenery Like a Private Venue!

Endless red leaves, a mountain lake as still as a mirror, and a self-drive mountain road that seems to reach the clouds...
This is Fangshan·Bairui Valley Scenic Area,
a low-key treasure spot that hides Beijing’s cleanest, most pristine, and most fairy-tale-like autumn.
Starting from mid-October, the entire valley looks like it has been color-graded by God’s own hand:
deep red, wine red, orange-yellow, golden brown layers upon layers,
when the sunlight shines, the whole forest glows✨

📍Why do we say it’s “few people, beautiful scenery”? Here’s the truth!
✅No subway access, no hype—this isn’t a popular internet-famous spot, so natural traffic is low
✅Slightly remote location but easy to reach—navigate directly to “Bairui Valley Scenic Area,” all highway + county roads, easy for sedans to drive
✅Average daily visitors under 2,000—practically a “private venue experience”🎫

📅Best time: October 15 – November 5 (off-peak golden period)
✔️ Early autumn for mountain red leaves & smoke tree colors
✔️ Late autumn for ginkgo leaf fall & lake reflections
✔️ Visit on weekday mornings, 99% chance to enjoy the entire valley alone!

🍁In-depth activities fully revealed!
🌅 Morning｜Drive through the “Colorful Forest Tunnel,” enter a painting
✅Recommended to leave the city at 7:30, arrive before 8:30,
at this time the morning mist hasn’t cleared, sunlight slants,
maple, oak, and smoke trees on both sides of the mountain road look like they’re on fire🔥
Roll down the car window, let the autumn breeze in,
humming “Ordinary Road” in your mouth, silently thinking: “This is life.”🎵🌄
✅After entering the scenic area, take the sightseeing bus (10 RMB/person) up the mountain,
then walk into the core area—Tianchi Lake + alpine wetlands,
the water is so clear you can see the stones at the bottom,
reflecting blue sky, white clouds, and red leaves all over the mountain,
every shot is wallpaper-worthy📸💙

🎯Hidden photo spots revealed:
✔️ Wooden bridge at the end of “Mirror Lake Trail”: shoot symmetrical reflections, super fairy-like
✔️ Gentle slope grassland on the east side of the lake: lie down and shoot the “Sky Mirror,” guaranteed to be the highlight of your social feed
✔️ Early morning 7:30–8:30, when the mist lingers, it’s simply divine🌫️📷

🌄 Noon｜Mountain-top restaurant for “wild home-style flavors”
There’s a highland eco-restaurant in the scenic area, focusing on local Fangshan ingredients:
✔️ Grilled rainbow trout (crispy outside, tender inside, perfect with lemon)
✔️ Chestnut stewed chicken (using home-raised free-range chicken, so tasty you’ll lick the plate)
✔️ Wild vegetable cornbread + pumpkin porridge (healthy and warming)
50 RMB per person to eat until full, and the best part—
the window view is a snowy mountain backdrop! Eat while watching the colorful forest, happiness maxed out🏔️🍽️
💡 Secret perk: Tell the owner “recommended by a friend,” and he’ll quietly add a free wild vegetable scrambled egg dish, so good you’ll want to take it home!🍳💛

🌇 Afternoon｜Challenge the cliffside plank road, overlook the sea of red mountains
✅A must-walk! A 3 km circular wooden plank road built halfway up the mountain, with a deep valley below and a burning forest ahead,
reach the highest point “Viewing Platform,”
take in the entire Bairui Valley—
red, yellow, green, and blue weave into a flowing oil painting,
along the way are several “love lock” viewing platforms,
perfect for couples to stroll hand in hand, romance level off the charts💑🔒

💡 Practical Tips｜All hard-earned experience to help you avoid detours
✔️ Wear non-slip shoes! Some plank roads are slippery with fallen leaves👟
✔️ Bring a jacket! The mountaintop is 5–8℃ cooler than the city🧥
✔️ Best photo times: 9:00–10:00 & 16:00–17:30⏰
✔️ Want to shoot empty grand scenes? Weekday mornings are the quietest!
✔️ If driving, stop by Shijiaying Township’s “Lingshan Ancient Trail” on the way, wild persimmons hang all over the trees, free to pick! Super sweet! 🍅
✔️ Bring a thermos! The scenic area has free hot water, perfect for tea🫖

Drive a car, bring a cup of hot coffee,
take a trip to Bairui Valley,
let the wind wash your hair, let the leaves fall on your face, let your heart beat anew.