Mt. Pulag By Car

[jut703]

I noticed that all the articles on the internet about Mt. Pulag involve taking either public transportation or a chartered van to get to the mountain's base camp.

Good news! The road to Pulag is now fully paved that even a sedan can make it:



The route is pretty simple, just type Ambangeg Ranger Station and follow Google Maps/Waze:



1. Drive up to Baguio (NLEX-SCTEX-TPLEX Urdaneta-McArthur-Kennon Road/Marcos Highway) - usually around 4-5 hours from Manila.

2. Take the Ambuklao/Aritao Road, which is at the roundabaout near St. Joseph's church, after CJH:



3. Follow the highway for about 50 km until you reach the junction where you keep left to go up the road to Pulag. Be sure to drop by the DENR office to register for the hike.



4. Follow the road for another 16 km to the Ambangeg Ranger Station. There's parking there where you can leave your car. There are also homestays where you can stay the night in case camping or sleeping in the car isn't your thing.

Total travel time is about 8 hours, including meal breaks on NLEX and in Baguio.

From the ranger station, the hike is about 3-5 hours to the summit. If the weather is good, this is the view that awaits you:



Costs involved:

1. Gas - P2,500 (700 km round trip, 11.5 km/L, P42/L for gasoline - your cost would be cheaper if you use a diesel vehicle and drive slower)

2. Toll - P1,100 (322 for NLEX-SCTEX, 216 for TPLEX, 15 for Kennon)

3. DENR Environmental Fee - P150 per head

4. Pulag Park Entrance Fee - P175 per head

5. Guide Fee - P600 for a maximum of 5 people

The hike is about 4-5 hours going up from the ranger station, so you have to leave past midnight to catch the sunrise and sea of clouds.

You have the option to split the hike by staying overnight at Camp 1 or Camp 2, but camping is only allowed on weekdays. The Ambangeg Trail isn't particularly difficult so even those with moderate levels of fitness can make it.

The mountain is such a beauty to behold and it's one of the trips worth taking. Just be sure to respect nature when you're there. 😁

Addendum: Time-lapse of the drive from Baguio to Pulag to give a better idea of the road conditions:

Baguio - Pulag Drive - YouTube

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