The Hong Kong Trail, opened in 1985, is a long-distance footpath from Victoria Peak to Big Wave Bay on Hong Kong Island. It is a 50-kilometre (31 mi) walking route which passes through the five country parks on Hong Kong island.[2] The trail is extremely popular with local residents for its unique combination of well-marked paths (with reassuring trail markers every half-kilometre) through verdant woods that offer relief from the sun on sunny days, and featuring numerous streams and waterfalls. The trail offers a wide variety of terrain — it can be steep at some parts, flat at others, with both gradual ascents and descents. The trail takes a very indirect route; termination points Victoria Peak and Big Wave Bay are less than 11 km apart. Because the trail is composed of eight sections, much shorter runs or hikes are possible. The popular running path on Bowen Road connects to both Sections 3 and 4 via the steep ascent up the Wan Chai Gap Trail. The best detailed guidebook, which breaks down each of the eight sections with detailed notes, maps and photos, is The Serious Hikers Guide to Hong Kong (the book also outlines three other 50 km+ hiking trails in Hong Kong — the Wilson, the Maclehose, and the 70-km long trail that circumnavigatesLantau Island. In 2013, Hong Kong Trail was awarded the 10th best city hiking trail in the world by Lonely Planet.[3]