Taking 18 soil plots at different altitudes as the research object in Xiaowutai Mountain, Hebei Province, 14 indexes, such as soil physical properties, water-holding capacity and nutrient characteristics, were analyzed and compared to reveal the vertical variation of soil physical and chemical properties at different altitudes. The results showed that:(1) With the increasing of altitude, the soil bulk density gradually decreased, while the total porosity increased gradually, and the variation of capillary porosity was not obvious. As soil depth increased, soil bulk density increased and total porosity decreased. (2) Soil water content, capillary water-holding capacity, maximum water-holding capacity and field water-holding capacity increased gradually with the increasing of altitude, and gradually decreased with the increasing of soil depth, meanwhile this decreasing trend gradually expanded with the increasing of altitude. (3) The content of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and alkali-nitrogen gradually increased with the increasing of altitude and decreased with the increasing of soil depth. The content of total potassium in soil was a parabolic type "first rising and then descending" with the increasing of altitude, and reaching its peak at 2 100~2 200 m. The content of available potassium and available phosphorus in 0-20 cm soil layer did not change obviously with the increasing of altitude. The content of available potassium in 20-60 cm soil layer increased with the increasing of altitude, while the content of available phosphorus in 40-60 cm soil layer decreased. (4) Soil organic matter, total nitrogen and alkaline nitrogen had obvious "surface aggregation phenomenon", and the higher the altitude, the more obvious it was. The content of total phosphorus and available potassium had obvious "surface aggregation phenomenon", and the higher the altitude, the less obvious it was. There was a certain "surface aggregation phenomenon" in soil available phosphorus content, but it was not obvious. Soil total potassium content had no "surface aggregation phenomenon".