Mount Tapulao (also known as
High Peak) is the tallest mountain in the
Zambales Mountain range and in the
province of
Zambales in the
Philippines. The peak, which rise to an elevation of , is located in the
municipality of
Palauig, Zambales. Its name is derived from the abundance of
Sumatran Pine trees in the area, known in the local
Zambal dialect as
tapulao. The mountain was once a site of a large-scale
chromite mining operations. The destruction of the beautiful natural scenery is visible in the mine pits on the summit as well as other related structures along the trail. The summit offers a 360-degree vista from where you can see the other Zambales mountains on the eastern side,
Lingayen Gulf to the north, and on the western side, the Zambales lowlands and the
South China Sea stretching to as far south as Pundaquit in
San Antonio, Zambales.