“D’ran Pass is the gateway to Dalat, but rubbish is being brought here, ruining the landscape and polluting the environment,” said local resident Pham Minh Tri.
Residents said mixed waste now stretches for more than a kilometre along the pass, with some piles reaching up to two metres high.
Items include mattresses, sofas, clothing and animal carcasses, some already decomposing and emitting foul odours.
In places, rubbish has spilled into surrounding pine forests, while some people have set waste alight, sending toxic smoke across the area.
Despite the scale of the pollution, residents said authorities have yet to implement a clean up plan.
The pass has effectively turned into an open dump, even though a large waste treatment facility operates nearby.
“We hope authorities will act quickly to clear the waste and restore the environment,” said another local resident, Tu Thi Son.
D’ran Pass, a roughly 10 km stretch of National Highway 20, is lined with pine trees and cherry blossoms and is widely regarded as one of Lam Dong’s most scenic routes. It links Dalat with Song Pha Pass on National Highway 27, forming part of the Dalat, Phan Rang corridor.