Search by map for challenging hikes in Taiwan
Search by area for challenging hikes in Taiwan
See some recent challenging Taiwan hiking trails featured on the blog
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…
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.…
MOUNTAINS to SEA GREENWAY DAY 9 (山海圳國家級綠道D9)
Day nine on the MSTW was challenging and beautiful in equal measure. I ended up taking an alternative route that saw me passing through the kind of achingly beautiful forest scenery that categorically must be inhabited by mountain spirits of some kind.
DEVIL’S CAVE and STONE BAMBOO SHOOT PEAK (魔神仔洞/石筍尖)
This odd little loop in New Taipei’s Pingxi District is a thrilling mix of climbing, views, and old mining remains.
YANGMINGSHAN EAST-WEST TRAIL (陽明山西東縱走)
Are you ready to take on Yangmingshan’s National Park’s biggest challenge? The 26-kilometre Yangmingshan East-West Trail is a tough trail with lots of lovely scenery to offer those who are foolhardy enough to take it on.
ZUOMI TRAIL & NANSHAN SACRED TREES (佐米縱走/南山神木)
This strenuous and beautiful walk in Yilan’s Datong District visits some of the giant trees found within Cilan Major Wildlife Habitat.
STEGOSAURUS RIDGE (劍龍稜)
Stegosaurus Ridge has to be one of the most superlative day hikes that you can do in northern Taiwan. It offers spectacular views of grassy slopes and dramatic rocky ridges set against bright blue coastal waters, and is very much a full-body workout kind of hike.
MOUNT WUSHIKENG & MOUNT CHUANXING LOOP (烏石坑山/船型山O型)
This looped route takes you deep into the forests of Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area. Tread quietly, and you might even be rewarded with a sighting of a Formosan serow.
MOUNT NAJIE (那結山)
The trail to Mount Najie offers some fun scrambling up through the tall forests of Taoyuan’s Fuxing District. If you’re looking for somewhere to escape the crowds, then this is the peak for you.
MOUNT MAWUBUA (馬武霸山)
Mount Mawuba sits just inside the borders of Shei-pa National Park, deep inside Taichung’s mountainous Heping District. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful walk, and best of all, it doesn’t require any permits.
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