Campo 7 Forest

Campo 7 sits in Cebu City’s central highlands, part of a belt of reforestation sites above the metro. Much of the original forest cover in these hills was logged out by the early 20th century, so what stands on Campo 7’s trails today is second-growth planted forest rather than untouched old growth — a fact that does not make the walk less worthwhile. The trails climb through cool, misty terrain with viewpoints over Cebu’s rolling hill country, noticeably cooler than the city below.

The logging history behind that second-growth cover is part of a wider pattern across the ridge system north and west of Cebu City — the same belt that includes Bocaue Peak and the watershed forest above Sulsogan. Commercial logging and kaingin farming cleared much of the original tree cover decades before conservation and reforestation programs took hold, which means most of what a visitor sees today, cool and green as it reads on the trail, is the result of active planting rather than forest that was simply left alone.

Reforestation sites like Campo 7 sit outside the coastal tourism and BPO economy that drives most of Cebu City’s visitor spending, so the modest trail fees and guide income the site generates matter proportionally more to the barangay than a similar sum would to a district closer to IT Park or the Business Park. That’s part of the practical case for hiring local guidance where it’s offered rather than treating the trail as a free-standing hike.

There’s little in the way of dining infrastructure directly on-site, which keeps Campo 7 closer to a working reforestation trail than a destination built around food or cafes — a contrast with Busay a few ridges over, where the same elevation and cooler air has been built up around restaurants and viewpoint dining instead. Visitors who want a meal built into the same half-day typically plan it for before or after the climb rather than expecting anything on the trail itself.

Parking and the trailhead itself are modest compared to more developed stops on the highland belt, which keeps visitor numbers lower and the trail quieter than a spot with cafe infrastructure built around it. That’s consistent with the site’s identity as a working reforestation area first and a visitor attraction second — the tree cover exists to hold the watershed and rebuild what logging removed, not primarily to draw a crowd.

• The trails suit moderate hikers and open onto viewpoints over the central Cebu highlands.
• This is an active reforestation site — keep to marked trails and pack out what you bring in.
• The altitude drops the temperature meaningfully, especially in early morning, so a light jacket earns its space in the bag.
• Most of the forest cover here is second-growth, planted within recent decades rather than untouched — worth knowing going in so the site is judged for what it actually is.
• Combine the visit with a same-day highland stop like Bocaue Peak if you’re already making the drive up from the city.

Explore More in Central Cebu Highlands and Metro Fringe

• Bonbon Falls
• Lusaran Dam
• Sirao Peak