G318 Sichuan-Tibet Highway — Xinduqiao Valley Plateau Dispersed Camp

Xinduqiao sits in a broad glacial valley just west of Zheduo La pass and is one of the most photographed stretches of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway for good reason — golden poplar groves, yak herds, and a wall of snow peaks. Overlanders running G318 have long used the flat grassy benches flanking the valley road as rough dispersed camps. Spots on the north side of the valley near the river terraces offer shelter from wind and a clear shot at the peaks at dawn. No facilities. No signage. Bring everything you need.

Best accessed after dropping off Zheduo La from Kangding — the valley opens up around the Xinduqiao township area. Altitude sits around 3,700m (12,100 ft), so acclimatization matters. Nights are cold year-round; summer afternoons bring thunderstorms fast. Avoid camping in active grazing lanes — local herders work these pastures. Cell service is spotty at best. Season runs May through October before snow closes higher passes.

Tibetan plateau grassland camp on G318.