The gorge walk at Dehang is the main reason to make the trip from Jishou. A trail follows the river upstream through progressively narrower rock walls, past waterfalls dropping from the plateau above, to a series of pools and viewpoints at the upper end of the canyon. The full circuit takes three to five hours at a comfortable pace; the terrain is not technically demanding but involves river crossings on stepping stones, some steep sections near the falls, and paths that are rougher than the manicured walkways of Wulingyuan or Zhangjiajie.
The gorge is at its most dramatic after summer rainfall when the waterfalls run at full volume and the river fills the narrow passages. In dry periods (winter and early spring) the falls are reduced and some of the river crossings are simpler. The scenery — limestone cliffs rising above terraced rice fields worked by Miao families, forested karst above, the sound of waterfalls carrying down the canyon — is what makes Dehang the corrective to the more theatrical mountain tourism elsewhere in western Hunan. Entry to the gorge scenic area costs around ¥80.