Mount Gede-Pangrango National Park, National park in West Java, Indonesia
Mount Gede-Pangrango is a national park in West Java, Indonesia, spanning three districts and surrounding two neighboring volcanoes. The area ranges from lowland tropical rainforest to cloud forest and alpine vegetation near the summits.
In 1889, at Treub's proposal, 240 hectares of montane forest above the Cibodas garden were declared a nature reserve by the Dutch East Indies government, the first in Indonesia. It was extended in 1926 to include the Gede and Pangrango summits, reaching 1,200 hectares. In 1980 the reserve was combined with neighbouring sanctuaries to form Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, one of Indonesia's first five national parks.
The name Gede means «large» in Sundanese, while Pangrango comes from a local legend about a special mountain. Hikers on the trails often meet locals who come to the source of the Ciliwung or visit sacred sites in the highlands.
Three entrances provide access to marked hiking trails, with Cibodas being the most commonly used starting point. The dry season between June and October offers more stable weather and clearer views of the summits.
Four craters on the Gede summit remain active and show visible fumaroles and hot springs. The park also shelters one of the last populations of the Javan Lutung, a monkey found only on Java.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,144 contributors worldwide.
