Climbing from the shore of Liyu Lake, the Liyu Mountain Trail is a short and pleasant shaded walk with ample opportunities for bird and monkey sightings.
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ANPINGZHEN CYCLE PATH (安平鎮庄自行車步道)
This short walking or biking route sees you following the waterways of Taoyuan's Pingzhen District. The scenery is gently rural — the perfect kind of low-energy, no-planning-required wander.
MOUNT DALUNTOU (大崙頭山)
Mount Daluntou can be found in the green-clad slopes separating downtown Taipei from the more extensive greenery of Yangmingshan National Park. It is an easy Xiao Bai Yue and a simple half-day Taipei hike.
KEELUNG MOUNTAIN EAST PEAK (基隆山東峰)
Climbing Mount Keelung is part and parcel of the Jiufen experience. Most visitors take a break from sampling the town’s many and varied treats to climb the thigh-testing, lung-burning steps. Far fewer people know that there is a secret back-route that reaches the summit via a series of thrilling scrambles.
SMANGUS LOOKOUT and KORAW ECOLOGICAL PARK (司馬庫斯觀景臺/KORAW生態公園)
This gentle trail climbs up to a viewing platform overlooking Smangus, a secluded mountain retreat once considered Taiwan’s most remote settlement. While many visitors come to admire the village’s cherry blossom or its grove of giant trees, this forest trail at the other end of the village offers a quieter escape for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.
FENRUI HISTORIC TRAIL (奮瑞古道)
Chiayi is truly a magical place for foreign hikers hoping to experience something distinctly different from Europe or the Americas. Mountain villages accessed by historic railways, forests made of towering bamboo and slopes clad in precision-clipped rows of tea. On Fenrui Historic Trail, it’s tick, tick, tick to all of the above.
YUANTONG TEMPLE TRAIL (圓通寺步道)
Yuantong Temple is an (almost) century-old religious establishment built into the hillside of New Taipei's Zhonghe District. The ridgeline behind it is crisscrossed with a network of trails where you can find all kinds of small shrines, statues and other interesting sights.
JINGUASHI to BENSHAN GEOLOGICAL PARK LOOP (金瓜石/本山地質公園O型)
The area around Jiufen and Jinguashi is absolutely riddled with hiking trails — many of which can be found on this site. This latest addition to the collection details an easy-to-moderate walk that takes in some sites of historical and geological interest.
JIUZHIZE NATURE TRAIL (鳩之澤自然步道)
The trails in Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area are nothing if not accurately named. The Hemlock Trail weaves through moss-draped hemlock forest, the Cueifeng Lake Circular Trail encircles Cueifeng Lake, and the Jiuzhize Nature Trail is blessed with abundant nature. I have never seen so many muntjacs in one place, and certainly not such chill ones.
LIYU LAKE (鯉魚潭)
Liyu Lake (aka Carp Lake) is situated a short drive southwest of Hualien City. As the county’s largest lake, it has been spruced up with a round-lake trail to attract hikers and bikers. The lake can be visited by private car or public transport and is a relaxing outdoor excursion that’s suitable for the whole family.
FISHERMAN’S TRAIL: SOUTHERN SECTION (魚路古道南段)
The Fisherman’s Trail is a historic 30-kilometre trading route connecting Jinshan on Taiwan’s northeastern coast with Shilin. This post covers the southern section connecting Qingtiangang with Shilin.
FISHERMAN’S TRAIL: NORTHERN SECTION (魚路古道北段)
The Fisherman’s Trail is a historic 30-kilometre trading route connecting Jinshan on Taiwan’s northeastern coast with Shilin. This post covers the northern section connecting Qingtiangang with Jinshan.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (好望角)
This short almost coastal walk in Miaoli's Houlong Township has Instagram-famous views, towering turbines, and a converted railway tunnel to keep you entertained. At just under 3km, it's also a great little way to stretch your legs and/or catch the sunset if you're passing through on a long drive between the north and the south.
TAIWAN BEECH NATIONAL TRAIL (台灣山毛櫸國家步道)
Tucked snuggly into the innermost reaches of Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan Beech National Trail is a pretty forested walk which takes hikers through an ancient stand of beech trees that is thought to date back to the last Ice Age.
MOUNT DASHANMU (大山母山)
Mount Dashanmu, Taiwan's southernmost Xiao Bai Yue, is a short and sweet hike with views overlooking the coast.
Taiwan Trails and Tales 