An easy wander in New Taipei's Xizhi District. Come in November or December to enjoy the bright red leaves.
new taipei city
NANGANG TEA MOUNTAIN TRAIL (南港茶山步道 )
If you picture Nangang District in your mind what do you see? The train station? The exhibition centre? The giant software park? I bet you didn’t envision quiet hillsides cloaked with neat rows of tea. This trail offers an insight into a side of Nangang that not so many people know about.
SANXIA LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN (獅仔頭山/粽串尖)
Lion's Head Mountain on the border of New Taipei's Sanxia and Xindian Districts is one of several similarly named peaks scattered across the various counties of Taiwan. This particular lion offers excitement and adventure with a dash of history, and a visit is well worth the trouble of getting out there.
JINGUASHI AQUEDUCT TRAIL (山尖路步道)
This short trail linking the two popular tourist villages of Jiufen and Jinguashi takes you past aqueducts that were used during the area's industrial past. It's a great way to stretch your legs after sampling the edible delights of Jiufen Old Street.
LINGJIAO and WANGGU WATERFALLS (嶺腳瀑布/望古瀑布)
The Lingjiao to Wanggu Trail packs an awful lot into its short length. You get not one, but two waterfalls, a dash of history and a trail that’s both pretty and gentle. It’s also short enough that you can combine it with a visit to some of the other sights and trails along the Pingxi Line.
TUCHENG TUNG BLOSSOM TRAIL (土城油桐花步道)
Every April and May the mountains around Taipei are cloaked with the white blossom of the tung tree. Getting out to observe this May 'snowfall' is a popular activity amongst the locals, and this trail in Tucheng is one of many places you can go to join in.
TAMSUI-KAVALAN TRAILS: WANTAN HISTORIC TRAIL and BEISHI RIVER TRAIL (淡蘭古道：灣潭古道/三水潭/北勢溪古道)
The walk along Wantan Historic Trail and Beishi River Trail is soul-comforting waterside wander between villages in New Taipei's sorely overlooked Shuangxi District. Bring a picnic and get ready to soak in some gently spectacular scenery.
TAMSUI-KAVALAN TRAILS: QINGYUN BRIDGE to JIAOXI (淡蘭古道南路：清雲橋/礁溪)
The most southeasterly section of the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails hews close to Beiyi North Road as it winds its way over hill and stream into the hot spring town of Jiaoxi. Aside from the always popular Paoma Historic Trail, you can reasonably expect to have the path all to yourself for long stretches.
TAMSUI-KAVALAN TRAILS: XIZHI to RUIFANG (淡蘭古道：汐止/暖暖/瑞芳)
The northernmost span of the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails follows the course of the Keelung River upriver from Taipei almost as far as the coast before veering south towards Jiufen. The section between Xizhi and Ruifang jumps from small town to small town, passing lots of temples and traces of history along the way.
TAMSUI-KAVALAN TRAILS: RUIFANG to SHUANGXI (淡蘭古道北路：瑞芳/雙溪)
Ruifang to Shuangxi forms part of the northern road of the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails. It passes through several rural communities and is a relatively easy route, since much of it follows established roads. It also passes the famous Jinzibei steele.
XINDIAN LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN HIKING TRAIL (新店獅頭山登山步道)
Lion’s Head Mountain is unassuming peak at the sourthernmost terminus of Taipei’s Songshan-Xindian line which holds unexpected opportunities for adventure. Popular with the local population of retirees, this network of paths is well furnished with shelters, and looping trails around the hillside with changing city-scapes at every turn.
JINGUALIAO FISH AND FERN TRAIL (金瓜寮魚蕨步道)
Nestled away in the tea-growing hills of Pinglin walkers can find the perfect antidote to summer's relentless heat: Jingualiao Fish and Fern Trail. This family-friendly trail meanders alongside Jingualiao Creek, and would be a perfect picnic spot.
GUANYIN SHAN – NORTHERN CROSS ROUTE (觀音山北橫古道)
Anyone who has hiked in Yangmingshan National Park and cast their gaze across the Tamsui River towards Bali will have noticed the multiple peaks clustered around Guanyin Shan. This trail covers many of those peaks, and is a much more interesting walk than the stone steps that also climb to the top.
PINGXI CRAGS (平溪小三尖)
This is one of the all-time classic Taiwan hikes, and for good reason. Pingxi’s crags rise dramatically from the forest and are the perfect adventure playground for visitors from Taipei.
YUE SHAN HU CLIFF LOOP (月扇湖大岩壁)
Shiding is famous amongst hikers for being the starting point of Huandidian's dramatic ridge walk, but the area has more to offer than that. Just a ten minute drive from Shiding Old Street you can find the start of Yue Shan Hu Cliff Trail - a fascinating little loop with some spectacular geology and a few traces of the area's past life as a mining town.
taiwan trails and tales 