Not to be confused with a longer trail of the same name in New Taipei, this short walk in Taipei City is a lovely brief adventure with bucolic scenery and the potential for coffee once you reach the top — a perfectly formed mini adventure.
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SILVERGRASS on MOUNT SANJIAOPU (三角埔頂山芒草)
This New Taipei walk climbs a punishing set of steps from New Taipei City Martyrs' Shrine before settling into a far more pleasant ridge trail above Shulin. The main draw is the silvergras, which — every October to December — frames the city views.
GOLDEN CAVE (黃金洞)
Two dramatic cave entrances and remnants of the area's mining past await on this moderate walk in New Taipei's Ruifang District.
MOUNT SHOU (壽山)
This trail winds through Kaohsiung's coral limestone hills, past ruins of old cement quarries and monkey-filled hedgerows on its way to the summit of Mount Shou (well, near enough the summit). As well as enjoying the views, hikers interested in climbing all of Taiwan’s 100 Minor Peaks can bag themselves an easy one.
QIXING MOUNTAIN THREE-WAY (七星山三進三出）
For those who live in Taiwan's capital, Taipei's tallest peak deserves more than a single visit, and this challenge is just the ticket. The Qixing Mountain Three-Way links the mountain's three separate approach trails into a single punishing route, sending you up and over the summit again and again. Superb scenery, sulphuric fumaroles, and the very real possibility of a bamboo partridge stealing your snacks await.
FENQIHU’S MOUNT DADONG (奮起湖大凍山)
Most visitors to Fenqihu come for the old street and the lunchboxes. This pleasant trail climbing to one of Chiayi's lesser-visited Taiwan 100 Minor Peaks is a short scooter ride out of town, and rewards those who venture a little further with bamboo groves, fine forest, monkey sightings, and a summit view from nearly 2,000 metres up.
MOUNT MEILUN (美崙山)
Rising 109 metres above Hualien City, this sweet-potato-shaped hill is criss-crossed with gentle trails and littered with rest areas and historic military bunkers. It's an easy and pleasant wander with plenty of vantage points, and in clear weather, early risers can catch the sunrise over the ocean.
SHOUSHAN BOARDWALK TRAIL (壽山木棧道)
This boardwalk trail winds through Kaohsiung's coral-limestone Mount Shou, where relaxed troupes of monkeys and traces of the hill's military and cement-quarrying past keep things interesting. Multiple pavilions along the ridge offer free tea and sweeping views over the Taiwan Strait.
CI LAKE BIRDWATCHING TRAIL (慈湖鸛鳥步道)
This easy loop around a former estuary on Kinmen's northwestern coast is a paradise for bird spotters, and if you visit after a dry spell, you might catch the Instagram-famous pink pools, a natural phenomenon created by algae-rich fishponds.
RAKNUS SELU TRAIL B ROUTE — LIANHUA TEMPLE to GUANXI (樟之細路B線：蓮華寺/關西)
This long, flat road walk through the northern Hsinchu County won't prove much of a test for your legs, but it will keep your eyes and mind busy. Ancestral halls, lascivious temple art, air-drying produce and watermelon stacks line the route from Zhubei's outskirts all the way to the sleepy town of Guanxi.
FUYANG ECO PARK NIGHT HIKE (富陽自然生態公園)
Previously a military facility, the little patch of forest between Da'an and Wenshan districts is now a biodiverse habitat where Taipei's herpers and hikers can come to get close and personal with the local wildlife. The short loop featured here makes an excellent night hike option with plenty of chances to encounter the area's nocturnal residents.
TEFUYE GIANT CAMPHOR TREES and BAMBOO TRAIL (特富樟樹巨木群/特富野竹林步道)
The Tefuye Trail is a short, easy hike circling the Tsou tribal village of Tefuye in Chiayi's Alishan Township. The trail takes hikers through a small-scale coffee plantation, past a giant camphor grove, and back down along a bamboo-lined trail. Along the way, visitors can also take a look at this aboriginal village's tribal architecture and enjoy the local coffee.
MOUNT BAIMAO (白毛山)
Mount Baimao is a mostly forested walk that saves its best for last with a dramatically exposed rocky ridge near the summit and sweeping views up Dajia River toward the hot spring town of Guguan.
QIXINGTAN BEACH and 48 PLATEAU (七星潭海岸風景特定區/四八高地瞭望台)
This easy coastal stroll in Hualien combines the simple pleasures of a pebble beach with sweeping bay views from the grassy bluffs of 48 Plateau.
XINXIAN TRAIL (信賢步道)
This short and easy stroll follows a beautiful river valley and takes you past several waterfalls on New Taipei’s remote-feeling Wulai District.