Mount Papandayan

Mount Papandayan is an active stratovolcano located in Cisurupan, Garut Regency, West Java, Indonesia, about 70 km southeast of Bandung. Standing at 2,665 meters above sea level, it is known for its expansive golden crater (Kawah Mas), active sulfur vents, and the distinctive dead forest of scorched trees. A popular hiking and camping destination, it offers relatively accessible trails and panoramic highland scenery within a managed nature recreation park.

Visitors can expect a highland volcanic landscape with active craters emitting sulfur smoke, yellow sulfur fields, and rocky terrain. The main area includes Kawah Mas (Golden Crater), Kawah Nangklak, Kawah Baru and Kawah Manuk, a dead forest of charred tree trunks, and open grassy ridges. Well-marked hiking trails lead from the parking area to crater viewpoints and camping grounds such as Pondok Saladah. The environment is cool, windy and often misty with strong sulfur odor near craters.

Mount Papandayan is an active stratovolcano with a major eruption in 1772 that collapsed its northeast flank and destroyed about 40 villages, and more recent eruptive activity in 2002. It has been monitored as an active volcano and is managed as a nature recreation park (Taman Wisata Alam Gunung Papandayan).