The ninetieth summit of Taiwan’s 100 Minor Peaks is a short and easy wander through a lemon grove and along a tree-lined ridge.
SPECIAL HIKES
GREEN ISLAND LITTLE GREAT WALL (綠島小長城)
Named for the wooden steps that snake along the spine of the hill (loosely) resembling the Great Wall of China, this short walk on the eastern edge of Green Island is an easy way to soak in the coastal scenery.
YOULUO MOUNTAIN (油羅山O型)
Located in Hsinchu’s mountainous Wufeng District, Youluo Mountain Trail is a wonderfully compact day hike. With its mist-cloaked paths and tall, quiet trees, it’s a complete escape from the city.
BATTLESHIP ROCK and PHOENIX MOUNTAIN (軍艦岩/丹鳳山)
Battleship Rock is a prominent chunk of sandstone standing out against the skyline of Taipei's Beitou District. There is a complex web of trails criss-crossing the area, so you can climb it ten times in ten different ways, but the route taken here is the one that Taiwan's hikers have voted as being one of the best hikes you can do in Taipei.
QUANTOUMU TRAIL (拳頭姆步道)
Quantoumu Trail is a short and easy walk in Yilan’s Sanxing Township. Its name means “fist” and is a reference to the fact that some feel the protuberance resembles a small clenched fist. It’s currently a managed forest area, and the whole hill has been planted with Formosan michelia trees.
BEIPU XIULUAN PARK (北埔秀巒公園)
This short walk on the edge of the historic Hakka town of Beipu has a good view of Mount Egongji and is a beautiful place to catch the sunset. The walk alone isn’t reason enough to visit Beipu but, if combined with a wander around the town and stops to enjoy leicha, it can be part of a wonderful day trip.
北埔秀巒公園
這條步道沿著客家古城北埔的邊緣而行，可以欣賞鵝公髻山的美景，也是觀賞日落的絕佳地點。單純為了健行而專程前來，理由或許稍嫌不足，但若能搭配漫步老街、品嚐擂茶，便能成為美好一日遊的亮點。
GOLDEN WATERFALL and LIUKENG SLOPE ROPEWAY (黃金瀑布/六坑斜坡索道)
This particular mini adventure in New Taipei’s Ruifang District is a brief but enjoyable walk connecting two of the area’s popular sight-seeing spots: the Golden Waterfall and Shibaoshan Lookout. If you’re feeling energetic, you could use it as a warm-up for climbing Teapot Mountain, or if — like me — your in more of a leisurely mood, you can end the walk with a pleasant sit down in one of Jinguashi’s coffee shops.
XIAOWULAI (小烏來)
Towering waterfalls, precarious suspension bridges, hot spring baths, bamboo forests, plentiful bird life, and an Indigenous village — this varied trail in Taoyuan’s Fuxing District has a lot to offer.
FIREFLIES and TUNG BLOSSOM in PINGLIN RIVERSIDE PARK
The four weeks spanning the end of April and the start of May is peak season for fireflies in northern Taiwan. What's more, this time of year also happens to be tung blossom season, and this easy trail in New Taipei's Pinglin District gives you the opportunity to experience both in one go.
PENGLAI FISH WATCHING TRAIL (蓬萊溪護魚步道)
This quiet and pretty trail in Miaoli’s Nanzhuang’s Township follows close to a burbling stream populated with abundant shoals of fish, and — if you’re lucky — you might spot muntjacs and monkeys among the lush green foliage.
LINSHAN CAPE COASTAL TRAIL (麟山鼻海岸步道)
Expect coastal scenery and easy walking on this short loop in New Taipei’s Sanzhi District.
SAVAGE VALLEY (野人谷)
This loop walk in New Taipei's pretty Pingxi District takes you through an abandoned pleasure park, past a couple of waterfalls, and past the odd landscape of Dahua's potholes.
HUANG JIE TRAIL (黃劫步道)
This short loop trail is located on the outskirts of Guanxi, a small Hakka town just on the Hsinchu side of the Hsinchu-Taoyuan border. Along the way, you can hope to spot tea fields, abandoned kilns and an interesting temple.
MOUNT HUOYAN RIDGE HISTORIC TRAIL (火炎山越嶺古道)
A short trail in New Taipei's coastal Gongliao District that greatly benefits from having a beach and a coffee shop at the end.