CHIAYI COUNTY HIKING TRAILS

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See all hikes in Chiayi County. Walks listed with the most recent at the top.

MOUNT DULI (獨立山)

Mount Duli National Trail takes hikers up from Zhangnaoliao Station to Dulishan Station, crossing paths with Alishan Forestry Railway at several points, with a possible detour to a huge hikers’ kitchen in a temple.

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.

ERYANPING TEA TRAIL (二延平步道)

This beautiful trail in the hills of Chiayi’s Fanlu Township has been voted one of the top 100 trails in Taiwan and it’s not hard to see why. Wisps of mist weave through bamboo and a sea of clouds laps at tea-covered slopes — it is a quintessentially Taiwan trail.

SHUISHAN GIANT TREE TRAIL (水山神木步道)

The Shuishan Giant Tree Trail is an easy walk in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area that is suitable for hikers of all levels of experience. The trail takes you through old forests and along old railway tracks.

TEFUYE HISTORIC TRAIL (特富野古道)

Tefuye Historic Trail has been reinvented several times over the years. It started off as a hunting and trading route for the Tsou aboriginals who live in the region. Later, the Japanese turned it into a logging railway, and now it has a third life as a much-loved hiking trail.

LIJIA ROMANTIC CAVE TRAIL (里佳風流洞步道)

The small village of Lijia—known as Niae’ucna to its 300-odd Tsou inhabitants—sits deep in the hills of Chiayi County. The Romantic Cave Trail takes you on a brief wander past a couple of spots that hold spiritual or cultural significance to the tribesfolk, and as such, it is a great way to simultaneously enjoy nature and learn more about the village.

MIANYUE LINE (眠月線)

The Mianyue Line hike has to be one of the most photographed hikes in Taiwan. Kilometre after kilometre of trestle bridges, mossy tracks, and abandoned tunnels stretch out through beautiful old forests, high up in the clear air of Chiayi. It is not hard to see why this hike has become popular.

TAIXINGYAN TRAIL (太興岩步道)

This short walk in Chiayi’s Meishan Township offers pretty mountain scenery and a gentle way to stretch your legs on the drive up to Ruitan or Fenqihu.

CHASHAN FIRE and WATER SPRING (茶山水火同源)

Deep in the lush green hills of Chiayi’s Alishan Township, this short trail on the edge of Chashan Village hides a bizarre natural phenomenon. Here, gas and water bubble up through the earth’s surface at the same spot, giving rise to a perpetual flame surrounded by a spring.

FENQI TRAIL (奮起步道)

This short and well-kept walk skirts around the historic town of Fenqihu in Chiayi’s Zhuqi Township. Along the way, you can enjoy majestic bamboo forests and hear the melodic sounds of so much bird life.

ALISHAN SISTERS PONDS LOOP (阿里山：姐妹池O型)

Alishan has been a popular destination with tourists for decades, the lure of the mountain air and beautiful forest scenery drawing in the crowds. These days visitors still flock to the park to enjoy the forest, the sunrise and the picturesque little red trains that ply the narrow-gauge tracks through the trees. This trail will take you on a short and easy wander around some of the sights.