Tawau Hills Park

Why go

A volcanic forest catchment

A 24-kilometre drive from Tawau town, this 279-square-kilometre reserve protects rugged volcanic terrain and towering dipterocarp forest. You can walk trails past historic 88-metre yellow meranti trees and spend the morning looking for resident hornbills. Expect to find a quiet, practical conservation area that rewards steady hikers and dedicated birders.

Sabah Parks gazetted Tawau Hills in 1979 to protect the essential water catchment area for the Tawau municipality. The reserve covers 279.72 square kilometres of lowland dipterocarp and submontane forest. It protects the headwaters of 7 major river systems including the Tawau, Merotai, Kinabutan and Balung rivers. This ensures a clean water supply to the populations downstream. Unlike most of Sabah, the terrain here is ancient and volcanic. The altitude begins at around 200 metres near the park headquarters and climbs to 1,310 metres at the summit of Mount Magdalena.

The park boundary is sharp. The primary rainforest is surrounded completely by expansive tracts of commercial oil palm and cacao plantations. This geographical isolation funnels local wildlife into the protected zone. Sabah Parks manages conservation, the park facilities and trail access. A major upgrade in 2024 delivered new viewing platforms, modernised public restrooms and a stabilised approach to the primary waterfall sites.

A wilderness basecamp for birders

Tawau Hills Park is an excellent wilderness basecamp for birders and hikers. The wildlife viewing is focused on the canopy and the undergrowth. You come here for the hornbills, the intricate insect life and the frogs. The dense mountainous terrain shelters resident large mammals. If you want a high chance of seeing orangutans and pygmy elephants from a boat, the Kinabatangan River is the better choice. If you want to walk through towering dipterocarp forest and photograph rare birds without the expense of Danum Valley, Tawau Hills is the place to be.

River pathways and mountain summits

The trail network divides neatly into easy walks near the headquarters and gruelling expeditions into the mountains. Sabah Parks requires you to hire a registered mountain guide for any of the summit routes. Independent walking is fine for the day-use areas.

Table Waterfall is 200 metres from the entrance. The walk takes about 10 minutes along a flat manicured pathway. The waterfall feeds a natural pool and the riverbank is a popular picnic spot for local families.

Bukit Gelas Waterfall sits 2.5 kilometres into the forest. The trail is mostly flat and wide and serves as the track for the Tropical Rainforest Run. The route takes 1 hour each way. The final 200-metre approach drops down a steep uneven descent.

Lucia Mountain Lodge basecamp is 10.55 kilometres from the headquarters. The hike takes 6 to 8 hours of sustained elevation gain through dense primary forest. This is a strenuous trail for serious hikers.

Mount Lucia stands at 1,202 metres. The summit is a 1.5-hour climb from the basecamp over a 1.7-kilometre distance.

Mount Magdalena reaches 1,310 metres. This peak requires a highly strenuous 4-to-6-hour ascent from the basecamp over slick and steep terrain.

Be sure to wear proper leech socks and footwear with an aggressive tread. The forest paths get deeply muddy when it rains.

The Tawau Sulphurous Springs

The Tawau Sulphurous Springs are located about 3 kilometres from the headquarters. The trail branches off the Bukit Gelas route and takes about 75 minutes to walk. The hot springs themselves remain in a natural state. Recent visitors report that a suspension bridge on the approach path has collapsed. Check the current trail conditions with the rangers before you set off.

Historic yellow meranti specimens

The deep sheltered river valleys and fertile volcanic soil allow the park's dipterocarp trees to grow to immense heights. Tawau Hills Park is famous for its giant yellow meranti trees. An American scientific expedition measured a specimen here at 88.32 metres in 2006. A separate survey using airborne scanning located another giant in 2018 that measured 96.9 metres. Both discoveries made global headlines. You can walk the trail to see some of these massive trees still standing in the primary forest.

Researchers have catalogued numerous individual specimens exceeding 80 metres within the park. Notable giants include an 85.76-metre Koompassia excelsa and an 84.41-metre Shorea superba.

Many travel websites claim that Tawau Hills holds the world record for the tallest tropical tree. This is no longer accurate. The current verified record belongs to a tree named Menara. Menara stands 100.8 metres tall and grows in the Danum Valley Conservation Area further north. Tawau Hills is home to historic giants but the ultimate record sits elsewhere.

Hornbills and submontane endemics

The park is a critical hotspot supporting over 338 resident bird species. It is one of the few places where you can observe all 8 species of Bornean hornbill. The bushy-crested, black and rhinoceros hornbills are frequently active near the headquarters clearing. Their density is tied to the abundance of wild fig trees along the primary trails. The white-crowned and black hornbills sometimes fly out of the primary canopy to scavenge fruit in the neighbouring oil palm plantations. This edge behaviour provides excellent viewing opportunities.

The Bornean ground-cuckoo is the primary target for serious listers. This large endemic bird stays in the deep shadowed undergrowth. Searching for it requires extreme patience and the use of photographic hides set up deep in the forest. You need a specialised local bird guide to have a realistic chance of a sighting.

The lower slopes of the Mount Lucia trail host submontane endemics like the Whitehead's trogon, blue-banded pitta and Bulwer's pheasant. The threatened lesser fish-eagle hunts along the rivers. The forest gets very noisy at dawn so you need to be on the trails by 6am to catch the morning activity.

Practical chalets and mountain lodges

Accommodation inside the park is practical and managed by the Sabah Parks staff cooperative. You stay close to the trails alongside researchers and hikers. The Magdelena Chalet accommodates up to 6 people and has a private bathroom. The chalet has air conditioning and unheated showers. The Bombalai Jungle Lodge offers dormitory rooms with 4 beds and shared bathrooms. A separate hiker refuge called the Lucia Mountain Lodge sits 10.55 kilometres along the mountain trail. A large camping ground near the river caters to local families on weekends and features a botanical garden highlighting endemic lowland flora.

The Begonia Canteen near the entrance sells snacks, noodles and hot drinks. You must bring your own food supplies from Tawau town if you stay independently. Structured tour packages include catered meals and guided walks. You can read more about the rooms on the Tawau Hills Park chalets page.

Park access and visit duration

The park is 24 kilometres from Tawau town. The drive takes 30 minutes on fully paved roads. Tawau Airport is a 1-hour drive away. You can easily reach the park using local taxis or ride-hailing apps. Securing a ride back from the remote park headquarters can be difficult so it is sensible to negotiate a return trip with your driver in advance.

The gates open at 8am and close to day visitors in the late afternoon and the team confirms the hour for your dates. You must exit the park by 3:30pm. Fees apply for entry, camera use and the canopy walkway. Sabah Parks requires cashless payments for tickets at the gate. If you hire a mountain guide or a porter, you must pay them directly in cash. The park enforces a strict ban on single-use plastics. You must bring reusable bags and water bottles.

A 0.5-day trip gives you time to see the tall trees and swim at the waterfall. You need to stay for at least 2 nights if you want to do a night walk and search for hornbills at dawn. A 2-night stay fits well into a larger itinerary before you transfer to the coast for a day's diving at Sipadan.

Dedicated birders and steady hikers

Tawau Hills Park suits dedicated birders, herpetologists and hikers who are comfortable with rugged trails and practical facilities. The terrain suits people who are steady on their feet and happy to navigate uneven concrete slabs and muddy slopes. The hot and humid environment is ideal for macro photographers wanting to spend hours looking for rare frogs and insects.

If you want to watch orangutans from a comfortable boat, choose a Kinabatangan river lodge. The Kinabatangan river lodges offer an easier wildlife experience.

Guided itineraries and coastal transfers

A trip to Tawau Hills is easily combined with a dive package on the east coast or a broader wildlife tour. Send us your dates, your party size and the species you are hoping to see. The team will come back to you with an itinerary that handles the transfers, the guiding and the entry rules.

--- Sources referenced on this page: Sabah Parks, Malaysian Meteorological Department. Facts verified 9 Sep 2026.