Central Gate — Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Zimugang)

The Central Gate is the Zimugang gate: simpler roads and facilities, with no direct public transport — only for self-driving visitors who know the park. By car, leave the expressway at the Zhangjiajie West toll gate and take the Zhangqing Highway. Private cars cannot enter the park — park outside the gate and switch to the park shuttle. On a first visit, use the better-serviced East Gate or South Gate instead.

The Central Gate is the Zimugang gate, on one side of the park, with simpler roads and facilities than the East and South gates. There is no proper dining or lodging at the gate, so stock up on water and food before setting out — buying things up the mountain is less convenient than in town.\nNo public transport reaches this gate: neither the high-speed rail station nor the city bus station runs a service to Zimugang, so it is self-driving or a hired car only. By car, leave the expressway at the Zhangjiajie West toll gate, take the Zhangqing Highway and follow the signs to Zimugang.\nBecause so few people and cars come this way, ticket checks and transfers are quick with almost no queuing — good for self-driving visitors who know the park routes and already know which area they are heading for. On a first visit, or if you have not yet worked out the shuttle routes, use the East or South Gate instead: the signage is clearer and there is someone to ask.\nFlying in to Hehua International Airport? There is no direct scenic-area shuttle — transfer in the city to the Central Bus Station, take a bus towards Wulingyuan, and then find your way to Zimugang from town, one change more than going via the East Gate. Private cars cannot enter the park — park outside the gate and switch to the park shuttle. Once inside, follow the shuttle routes towards Shuiraosimen, Yuanjiajie or Tianzishan, and ask about the last shuttle time on the way in: it gets dark early in the mountains and being stranded is no fun.\nThe ticket is valid for 4 days with unlimited re-entry from any gate, so you can come in through the Central Gate and leave through the East or South Gate without doubling back — wherever you left the car, you can still get to it. The shuttle from the gate runs first to Shuiraosimen, the junction where routes split for the Bailong Elevator, the Ten-Mile Gallery and Tianzishan; on a first run, read the signs at Shuiraosimen before boarding rather than asking at the fork.