Hiking, camping and the outdoors: rules and permits

Is the Frontier Closed Area open now?#

Sources differ. A government release of 6 May 2026 says that once the order takes effect, all Frontier Closed Areas will be open to the public, except border-crossing facilities and boundary patrol roads. It names only Mai Po and Lin Ma Hang as changes.

The gazetted orders are narrower. L.N. 46 of 2026 takes part of Mai Po out of the closed area. L.N. 47 lets scheduled minibus drivers and their passengers use one road section at Lin Ma Hang without a permit, on conditions. Both took effect on 24 July 2026. They remove no other area.

Do I still need a Closed Area Permit for Sha Tau Kok?#

Sources differ, so check the Police and Transport Department pages before you travel.

On 24 October 2026 the Police Closed Area Permit pages still describe a Sha Tau Kok tourism permit: applied for online, free, at least 3 working days before the visit, stay 7 am to 9 pm. The pages are undated and do not mention the July change. The Police "hikers reminded" page still states a fine of HK$5,000 and 2 years' imprisonment for entering without a permit. A Transport Department ferry note for route TP 20 (Sha Tau Kok to Lai Chi Wo, Ap Chau and Kat O) also says passengers need a Sha Tau Kok permit.

Do I need a permit for Mai Po now?#

Yes, an AFCD permit. From 24 July 2026 the Mai Po part taken out of the Frontier Closed Area no longer needs a police permit. But the marshes stay a Restricted Area under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, and the government says unauthorised entry carries a maximum fine of HK$50,000.

AFCD permits are free and generally valid for one year. Type A covers the reserve but not the WWF boardwalks and hides outside the fence; it has no annual quota now. Type B adds those hides, needs a yearly WWF authorisation and is balloted if oversubscribed. This year's Type B applications have closed, AFCD says (page dated 23 July 2026).

How do I apply for a Mai Po permit, or visit without one?#

Download the form from the AFCD page and send it with proof or a written statement of a conservation purpose: birdwatching, conservation, education or research. Send it by post to 5/F Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, by email to maipopermit@afcd.gov.hk, or by fax to 2377 4413. The AFCD page (dated 23 July 2026) mentions no online route and no processing time.

Without a permit, you can join a guided tour or activity run by WWF Hong Kong or another non-profit body approved in advance by AFCD. You do not apply for a separate permit. AFCD says these run on prior booking and quota.

Do I need to book a campsite?#

Only Twisk Campsite (No. 24, Tai Lam Country Park) needs advance booking, on the Enjoy Camping website (camping.gov.hk). The government said on 18 March 2026 that all other designated campsites are first-come, first-served and free. AFCD says it is studying reservation and fees, with no timeline.

AFCD lists 41 designated campsites. Camping or pitching a tent anywhere else in a country park is not allowed. On 24 October 2026 Twisk is open for booking but has building works, so read the Enjoy Camping notices first.

What are the camping rules, and is there water?#

AFCD's camping code says: camp only in designated campsites; light or use fire only in designated campsites, preferably in the pits provided, and never leave it unattended; keep each stay to no more than 7 consecutive days; do not leave belongings to reserve space, as they may be removed; keep noise down; do not feed wild animals.

A notice on AFCD's campsites page, dated 24 March 2026 and still there on 24 October 2026, says low rainfall has made water supply a problem at many campsites, so campers may need to bring drinking and cooking water.

What are the fines for feeding wildlife, lighting fires and littering?#

Feeding wild animals illegally, including wild pigs, monkeys and wild birds: a fixed penalty of HK$5,000, or prosecution with a maximum of HK$100,000 and one year's imprisonment. This is under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170), amended from 1 August 2024. It replaces the older HK$10,000 maximum.

Lighting or using fire in a country park outside designated barbecue sites and campsites: AFCD states a fine of HK$25,000 and 1 year's imprisonment.

Littering in country parks: a fixed penalty of HK$3,000, stated in an AFCD release of 10 February 2026.

What do the fire danger warnings mean?#

The Hong Kong Observatory issues a Yellow Fire Danger Warning (fire risk high) and a Red one (extreme). They are shown on signs in all country parks. AFCD says dry, low-humidity autumn and winter weather raises the risk, and its fire crews are on duty round the clock in the fire season, October to April.

AFCD says take care and light no fire except at designated places. The AFCD page (dated 28 July 2025) does not say whether barbecue sites or campsites close under a Red warning.

Do dogs have to be on a leash, and what are the fines?#

AFCD stated these penalties on 18 August 2026. They are two different offences, so the amounts do not conflict.

A large dog (20 kg or more) not held securely on a leash of at most 2 m in a public place: HK$25,000 and 3 months' imprisonment (Dangerous Dogs Regulation, Cap. 167D, s.9). Any dog not leashed or under control in a public place: HK$10,000 (Rabies Ordinance, Cap. 421, s.23). Dog fouling: a fixed penalty of HK$3,000.

AFCD said on 19 August 2026 it is reviewing whether penalties are strong enough. For country parks, see the last section.

Can I fly a drone in Hong Kong?#

Yes, under rules set by weight. The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) pages are undated and say guidance may change.

Category A1 (250 g or less, within A1 limits) needs no aircraft or pilot registration and no label. Category A2 (over 250 g to 7 kg) needs the responsible person (18 or over) and remote pilot (14 or over) registered on eSUA, and the aircraft registered and labelled. Heavier aircraft and riskier flights need CAD permission and training.

Limits: daylight only; 300 ft above ground (100 ft for A1, except exempted models); keep the drone in sight; no flights under a Rainstorm Warning, Tropical Cyclone Warning or Strong Monsoon Signal.

Where can't I fly, and what do visitors need?#

You cannot fly in a Restricted Flying Zone shown on the CAD Drone Map (for example Victoria Harbour and the airport), unless wholly inside an enclosed area. You cannot fly over the Prohibition Area near Penny's Bay, including Hong Kong Disneyland, or over people, vehicles, vessels or structures not involved in the flight. CAD says check the Drone Map before each flight.

Visitors who need to register do so on eSUA with their travel documents. The registration is normally valid for six months. The label cannot be printed at home: collect it at CAD Headquarters, or have it mailed to a Hong Kong address (a hotel needs booking evidence).

Can I hike in a typhoon or black rainstorm?#

AFCD appeals to the public to stay away. We found no text that calls it a legal closure.

Under a Black Rainstorm Warning, AFCD urges the public to avoid visiting country parks. People already inside should, depending on circumstances, leave immediately or shelter in a safe place (release of 18 June 2026). When a typhoon is approaching, AFCD urges the same (release of 25 July 2026, which names no signal number). AFCD's hiking safety guidelines (29 May 2026) say to avoid hiking in unstable weather, especially when a rainstorm or thunderstorm warning is in force.

How do I read closure notices on hiking.gov.hk?#

Read the notice text, not the status tag. The list at hiking.gov.hk/news ("Latest news on country park facilities") is the only closure list on the site. It opens in Chinese by default. Each row has a date, location, notice text and a tag such as "temporarily closed" or "partly closed". The tags are not defined, and a tag can disagree with the text. The Ma On Shan notice of 31 August 2026 is tagged temporarily closed, but its text suspends only an open space beside the barbecue area. Old notices stay on the list with no end marker. The newest on 24 October 2026 was dated 26 September 2026.

Are Tsin Yue Wan and Long Ke Wan campsites open?#

No official page says. We found only dated closure notices and no reopening notice.

Tsin Yue Wan (Lantau South), hiking.gov.hk notice of 10 October 2025: closed with immediate effect after typhoon and rain landslides, until further notice. Long Ke Wan, notice of 16 June 2025: new toilet works from July 2025, the campsite area temporarily partly closed and a MacLehose Trail section near marker M021 diverted, until further notice. No later notice for either was on the list on 24 October 2026. AFCD's campsite pages show no closure for either, and do not say they reopened.

Where do I check what is open?#

On 24 October 2026, the places the sources point to are these:

hiking.gov.hk/news for trails, campsites and barbecue sites; the Enjoy Camping notices (camping.gov.hk) for Twisk; LCSD and info.gov.hk press releases for beaches. For questions, AFCD gives its hotline as 1823.

Barbecue site closures on the hiking.gov.hk list that day included Tai Tong BBQ Area No. 6 (suspended from 30 September 2026) and Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir BBQ Area No. 1 (closed from 8 January 2026). Both say "until further notice".

When are beach lifeguards on duty?#

LCSD says (page revised 13 January 2026) that on Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories lifeguards work 9 am to 6 pm in April, May, September and October. In June to August it is 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 7 pm on weekends and public holidays. A few named beaches have 8 am to 5 pm service in some other months; LCSD names them.

The LCSD pages we read do not say whether swimming is allowed outside lifeguard hours. They say only: swim where lifesaving services are provided, not alone, and not under a red flag.

What do beach flags and shark and thunderstorm warnings mean?#

LCSD's shark advice (page revised 12 January 2026): do not enter the water when the shark warning flag or red flag is hoisted. Do not swim alone, at dawn, dusk or night, or with an open wound. Swim within the red boomline and away from the nets. Leave the water if schooling fish behave erratically or a large fish is seen. Dial 999 if you see a shark.

Under a thunderstorm warning (page revised 21 July 2026), beaches in the named region give only limited lifeguard service, hoist a red flag and ask swimmers to leave the water.

What about Sharp Peak and other high-risk spots?#

AFCD's Enjoy Hiking site lists high-risk locations where fatal or serious accidents happened. Under Sai Kung East it lists Sharp Peak (Nam She Tsim) and three places named in Chinese: 四疊潭, 燕子岩 and 撿豬灣. AFCD says it has put up warning signs and tells hikers not to enter potentially dangerous areas, to use maintained trails and not to make their own paths. The page mentions no permit, closure or legal ban.

A government reply of 15 October 2025 gives Fire Services Department figures: 588 mountain search and rescue calls in 2024, with 345 injuries and 15 deaths.

What we could not confirm: campsites, bookings and beaches#

Partly verified or not found, so treat as unconfirmed.

Twisk: the pages we read give no booking window, fee or cancellation rules. Sai Kung campsites: we found no official announcement of a booking or fee system as of 24 October 2026, but that is only an absence in the pages searched. Beaches: LCSD closed Pui O and Hung Shing Yeh (25 July 2026) and Silver Mine Bay and Cheung Chau Tung Wan (26 July) "until further notice" for shark-net maintenance. We read no reopening release, so their status now is not stated. Sha Tau Kok permits: see above.

What we could not confirm: dogs, drones and permits#

Partly verified or not found, so treat as unconfirmed.

Dogs in country parks: AFCD's undated large-dog page says large dogs may be exercised without a leash in country parks if under effective control, and should be leashed on leaving. Its leaflet is from 2015. The 2 September 2026 fighting-dog rules (muzzle, leash of at most 1.5 m) say "public places" and do not name country parks. Drones in country parks: no CAD page we read mentions them. Sharp Peak: we found no permit scheme, but only by absence.