The Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR) offers several outdoor recreation spots. Listed below are the most notable of these places. Make sure to visit our galleries for a preview of these destinations!
The Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) is situated at the lower elevations of the Molawin-Dampalit watershed. The Maralas and Molawin creeks join within the park vicinities and is drained towards the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus and finally to the Laguna Lake. MBG hosts several native, endemic, and exotic plants for the visitors to experience.
Flatrocks is one of the most frequented places in MMFR. Here, the Molawin Creek flows over large slabs of rock, forming natural pools. The area is just a few hundred meters’ walk from Mariang Makiling Trail (MMT) Station 1.
Mudsprings are formed due to Mount Makiling’s volcanic history. Within the boundaries of MMFR there are occurrences of mud pots, a type of hot spring where volcanic heat and sulfuric acid break down surrounding rocks into clay. The Mudspring is located within the Molawin-Dampalit watershed, six (6) kilometers from MMT Station 1.
Three (3) Peaks crown the Mount Makiling, a dormant volcano. Seen from above, Mount Makiling has a collapsed caldera facing towards Batangas, evident of its violent past. The rim of the broken caldera forms the three peaks, Peak II being the most accessible and famous among the public.
The Mariang Makiling Trail (MMT) is an 8-kilometer trek toward Mount Makiling’s Peak II. The trail officially starts at MMT Station 1 near the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems office and ends at MMT Station 30 or Peak II. The trail winds through the eastern slopes of the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve within the Molawin-Dampalit Watershed Zone. As you trek the Mariang Makiling Trail, you can observe that the vegetation types change from tall and broad-leaved plants and trees to stunted and moss-covered plants and small trees.
