Mount Wanren is an easy Xiao Bai Yue in the south of Hualien County. Although the climb to the summit is short, if you time your trip right, you can combine it with a visit to the spectacular daylily fields on the nearby slopes of Sixty Stone Mountain.
SPECIAL HIKES
MOUNT DATONG and QINGLONG RIDGE NIGHT HIKE (大同山&青龍嶺夜爬)
City views and wildlife can both be enjoyed on this night hike in New Taipei’s Shulin District.
PINGLIN CUKENGKOU TRAIL and XIAKENGZIKOU STREAM (坪林粗坑口步道/下坑子口溪親水遊憩區)
A short and easy walk along a river close to Pinglin Street. This walk is great for summer days when you want gentle excursions with an option to dip your feet in the water.
TAOLIN BIKEWAY (桃林鐵路自行車道)
This gentle ride in Taoyuan has been deftly stitched together from the remains of the old Taolin coal railway. The scenery cannot be described as breathtaking, but it’s a fun way to explore part of Taoyuan that’s well off the tourist trail.
HEPING ISLAND PARK (和平島公園)
Heping Island Park is a small pocket of land on an island that shelters the mouth of Keelung Harbour. People come here to walk the short coastal trail year-round, and in the summer, you'll find the ocean-fed pools full of swimmers.
ALABAO BAY GUIDED WALK (阿拉寶灣)
Only open for several months every year, Alabao Bay is a short stretch of coastline accessible from within Keelung's Heping Island Park. The coastal trail offers interesting rock formations, views of Keelung Islet, and traces left behind by several waves of inhabitants.
MATCHA MOUNTAIN and MOUNT SANJIAOLUN (抹茶山/三角崙山)
You won’t find Matcha Mountain on any official maps, but that hasn’t stopped this spot becoming one of the hottest places for tourists to visit in Taiwan. An easy (if long) trail takes hikers up through pleasant forest to a summit with spectacular views of hills cloaked in shimmering grasses. Once you’ve made it to the top, it’s easy to see the appeal.
LUJIAOKENG ECOLOGICAL PROTECTED AREA and FENGLIN WATERFALL TRAIL (鹿角坑生態保護區/楓林瀑布)
Tucked into the northern folds of Yangmingshan National Park, Lujiaokeng Ecological Protection Area and Fenglin Waterfall can only be accessed by those who have applied for a permit. Don't let that put you off though, this pretty trail involves lots of stream crossings and the remoteness means you're all but guaranteed a quiet walk.
SANZHI TUNG BLOSSOM TRAIL (三芝油桐花步道)
The trail is located in the very northernmost tip of Taiwan, and is a short (slightly hilly) walk with lots of tung trees and some terraced rice paddies to enjoy.
SUNRISE on MOUNT QIXING (七星山日出)
Watching the sun rise on a new day is always a memorable experience, but a sunrise seen from the city's highest summit is doubly so. The changeable weather up on Mount Qixing makes it challenging for sunrise seekers, but if you do manage to beat the odds, and get good weather it feels like you've won the jackpot.
DENGMIAO TRAIL (登廟步道)
The majority of Dengmiao Trail is in Changhua County, but for a brief moment it will take you over the border into Nantou County. It's a casual, Sunday afternoon type wander with a good chance of spotting some Formosan rock macaques.
BIRD DIVINATION PAVILION TRAIL (鳥占亭步道)
This trail on the fringes of Dabang tribal village is a short walk that climbs to a pavilion with cultural significance for the local Tsou population.
MOUNT JINGANSHU (金柑樹山)
A perfect Nantou day hike with tea plantations, mist-filled bamboo forests, and the dramatic earthquake-caused landscape of Wangyou Forest Lake.
SHIGUANG HISTORIC TRAIL (石光古道)
This easy walk in Hsinchu's Guanxi Township takes hikers along a historic trail and past a unique Catholic Shrine.
XINPU WANDER (新埔走走)
This leisurely stroll around the rural Hakka town of Xinpu takes in a hillside park, a series of temples, historic houses, a market, and some temple unusual artwork.