Huanglong Autumn Wonderland Guide! A Visual Feast of Colorful Pools and Forests

Autumn in Huanglong is a color carnival above 3,500 meters altitude! From late September to the end of October, hundreds of colorful pools are jade-green, surrounded by forests dyed in autumn hues, with snow-capped mountains as a backdrop creating a giant oil painting. This 3-day itinerary will take you hiking among the colorful pools, crossing canyon forests, and deeply experiencing the ultimate autumn scenery of the "Fairyland on Earth."
🌈Three Core Experiences
Colorful Pool Wonders: The Five-Color Pool shows a blue-green gradient under the autumn sun, the golden dragon-like calcified beach of Jinsha Paved Ground flows like gold; the Contending Pools and reflections of colorful forests intertwine into a Monet painting.
Canyon Autumn Colors: The 30-kilometer-long Dan Yun Gorge corridor is ablaze with red maples, and the Danxia landform of Yusun Rock looks like burning flames under the autumn light.
Tibetan-Qiang Culture: The ancient town of Songpan retains Tang Dynasty style, where you can experience Tibetan Thangka painting and Qiang sheep-skin drum dancing.
📅3-Day Itinerary Plan
Day 1: Highlights of Huanglong Main Scenic Area
Take the cable car up early (first at 7:30) to reach the Five-Color Pool and avoid crowds. Hike around the pool for 1.5 hours, capturing the changing colors of the water from different angles.
Have a self-heating rice meal at the Huanglong Ancient Temple rest area at noon. In the afternoon, hike down to visit Jinsha Paved Ground and Contending Pools, covering 5.6 km in about 4 hours.
Overnight in Chuanzhusi Town, recommended Minjiangyuan Hotel (with floor heating + oxygen supply rooms), and try Tibetan hot pot for dinner.
Day 2: Dan Yun Gorge Colorful Forest Adventure
Charter a car to Dan Yun Gorge (1-hour drive), hike the Yusun Rock to Shimaguan section (3 km), and have a picnic at Lingbing Rock at noon.
In the afternoon, drive to Muni Valley to see the Zaga Waterfall with abundant autumn water flow, and the Erdao Sea forest boardwalk is perfect for environmental portrait photography.
Day 3: Cultural Leisure Day
In the morning, visit Songpan Ancient Town, climb the city wall to see the autumn colors of the Minjiang River, and visit the Qiang embroidery workshop.
Before returning in the afternoon, buy yak jerky and sea buckthorn cakes in Chuanzhusi as souvenirs.
⚠️High Altitude Tips
At altitudes of 3,500-4,000 meters, prevent altitude sickness: take Rhodiola in advance, and portable oxygen tanks can be rented at the scenic area entrance (50 RMB/can).
Autumn has a 20°C temperature difference between day and night, so bring a windproof jacket + thin down liner; sunscreen SPF50+ is a must.