Shennongjia is worth visiting in most seasons, but the best times are late spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October). In April the rhododendrons flower across the hillsides in spectacular colour, and the forest is cool and clear after winter. September and October bring the autumn leaf colour — the beech and maple forests above 1,500 metres turn gold and red across entire hillsides, and the air is crisp enough at altitude for comfortable hiking.
Summer (June to August) is the busiest period, when lowlanders escape the Yangtze valley heat for the cooler mountain air. Trails and guesthouses fill at weekends. Winter brings snow to the higher elevations and transforms the landscape, but road access to Shennongding and some of the northern areas may be restricted. The golden snub-nosed monkeys are accessible year-round at the feeding stations.