[Objective] The effects of different tourism disturbance intensity on litter and soil water-holding capacity in the scenic area were explored in order to provide some reference for scenic area management measures and ecological environment improvement.[Methods] The Huangshui National Forest Park was selected as experimental object and the changes of litter and soil water-holding capacity were analyzed under four treatments:undisturbed area, light disturbed area, moderate disturbed area and severe disturbed area.[Results] With the increase of tourism disturbance intensity, the litter and soil water-holding capacity were decreased significantly, while the soil bulk density was increased significantly (p<0.05). Compared with undisturbed area, the total accumulation of litter, decomposed litter and semi-decomposed litter were decreased by 55.30%, 57.47% and 49.19% respectively (p<0.05); the maximum water-holding rate, maximum interception rate, effective interception rate, the maximum water-holding capacity, maximum interception capacity and effective interception capacity of undifferentiated litter were decreased significantly by 19.83%, 24.83%, 20.22%, 57.89%, 56.67% and 62.35%, respectively, but the semi-decomposed litter were significantly decreased by 30.01%, 33.21%, 37.48%, 69.90%, 70.94% and 72.77%, respectively. The soil bulk density of scenic spot under serve disturbance intensity was significantly increased by 97.33%, while the soil porosity, soil capillary porosity, soil non-capillary porosity, soil maximum water-holding capacity, soil capillary water capacity, soil non-capillary water capacity, soil initial infiltration rate, soil stable infiltration rate, soil average infiltration rate and soil total infiltration were significantly decreased by 26.57%, 8.83%, 17.74%, 38.64%, 42.98%, 32.13%, 67.01%, 65.23%, 64.22% and 44.01% (p<0.05), respectively.[Conclusion] Tourism disturbance decreased the hydrological regulation function of the scenic area ecosystem by reducing the litter, especially the semi-decomposed litter and the soil water-holding capacity.