There are two principal access points to Wǔlíngyuán. Zhāngjiājiè village (张家界村; Zhāngjiājiè cūn ), the site of the south entrance, is the more appealing option, situated nearly 600m above sea level in the Wǔlíng foothills, surrounded by sheer cliffs and vertical rock outcrops. It's technically known as the Zhāngjiājiè National Park Entrance (张家界公园门票站; Zhāngjiājiè Gōngyuán Ménpiàozhàn), but the locals mostly refer to it as simply Forest Park (森林公园; Sēnlín Gōngyuán).
From the east, you can use the Wǔlíngyuán Entrance (武陵源门票站; Wǔlíngyuán Ménpiàozhàn), east of Suǒxī Lake (索溪湖; Suǒxī Hú). In the north of Wǔlíngyuán is a further way in, the Tiānzǐ Mountain Entrance (天子山门票站; Tiānzǐshān Ménpiàozhàn).
A staggering admission fee includes Y3 compulsory insurance and buys a ticket that is valid for two days. It must be used on consecutive days, and thumb prints are taken at the entrance, so tickets can't be resold or passed on. There are admission fees to some other sights within the park as well. Available from the ticket office, and hotels in the village and city, the Tourist Map of Wulingyuan Scenic Zone (武陵源景区导游图; Y5) contains an English-language map of the scenic area and a Chinese-language map of Zhāngjiājiè city.
The highest area closest to Zhāngjiājiè village is Huángshízhài (黄石寨), and at 1048m it's a two-hour hike up 3878 stone steps (cable car up/down Y48/48). It takes two to three hours to follow the Golden Whip Stream Scenic Route (金鞭溪精品游览线; Jīnbiānxī Jīngpǐn Yóulǎn Xiàn), which follows its namesake stream to the Suǒxī Valley Nature Reserve (索溪峪自然保护区; Suǒxīyù Zìrán Bǎohù Qū) in the east of the reserve. From there it's a short walk to the dramatic and very popular Bailong Sky Lift , which transports visitors up to the Yuánjiājiè (袁家界) area, the heart of the park.
From there, you can hike or take the sightseeing tram (观光电车; Guānguāng Diànchē) along the Ten Mile Gallery (十里画廊; Shílǐ Huàláng) towards the Tiānzǐ Shān Nature Reserve (天子山自然保护区; Tiānzǐ Shān Zìrán Bǎohù Qū), a popular expedition in the northern section of the reserve; a cable car also services the region. The Tiānzǐ Shān area can also be accessed by minibus to the entrance at Tiānzǐshān village (天子山镇; Tiānzǐshān Zhèn), where you can also overnight.
Organised tours to the park and Jiǔtiān Cave often include a rafting trip (piāoliú), or you can join a tour and just do the rafting trip. While good white-water rafting trips are possible northwest of Zhāngjiājiè near the Húběi border, you'll have to make special arrangements for the equipment and transport.
Most rivers are pretty tame, so don't expect great thrills, but the scenery is fantastic. The actual rafting usually lasts about four hours, with about the same amount of time taken up in travel to and from the launch area.
