TAROKO GORGE (太魯閣)

There seems to be a fair bit of confusion online about Taroko National Park and whether or not it is open. The following information will try to provide answers to some of the questions I’ve seen people asking and is true of March 2026.

Is Taroko Gorge open now?

Partially, yes. While some of the trails and attractions that draw travellers to Taroko are still closed (and will likely remain closed for years to come), a few opened at the end of 2025/start of 2026.

Currently open trails and sights include:

Taroko Terrace Trail (太魯閣台地步道)

Dali-Datong Trail (大禮大同步道)

Qianliyan Mountain (千里眼山)

Liwu Mountain (立霧山)

Chongde Recreation Area (崇德遊憩區)

Tianxiang Recreation Area (天祥遊憩區)

Daqingshui Recreation Area (大清水遊憩區) Recreation Area,

The road through the park (Provincial Highway 8, aka the Central Cross-Island Highway) is only open at specific times of the day and even then, only to self-drive vehicles. There are currently no bus services operating in and out of the national park. For the most up-to-date information on the road situation, you can check the traffic page of the Taroko National Park website.

Is it still worth visiting Taroko Gorge at the moment?

Possibly. It depends on what you want to see and whether you are able to arrange your own transport. The scenery is still stunning, even if some of the park’s biggest draws remain closed.

Why is Taroko partially closed?

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit Hualien at 7:58 AM on April 3, 2024. The earthquake caused several buildings in Hualien City to collapse, killed at least 18, and did extensive damage to the trail and road infrastructure in Taroko National Park.

When will all the Taroko trails be open again?

This is an impossible question to answer and depends on many factors.

Are any of the trails in Taroko National Park open now?

In addition to the above mentioned tourist spots and trails, the following trails are open:

  • Bilu-Yangtou Trail
  • Xiaoqilai Trail
  • Mount Hehuan
  • Hehuan East Peak
  • Hehuan North Peak
  • Hehuan West Peak
  • Mount Nanhu
  • Mount Shimen
  • Mount Pingfeng
  • Mount Yangtou
  • Tianluan Pond

All of these are grade 3, 4, or 5 trails and all but one or two require permits. Popular tourist trails like Shadakeng, Zhuilu, and the Dali-Datong Trek remain closed. You can see the current status of all the park’s trails here.

What should I do instead of visiting Taroko Gorge?

Obviously, Taroko is a one-of-a-kind type of landscape, but there are plenty of lovely natural places to visit outside of Taroko National Park and if hiking is your thing, you should find lots of inspiration on this site. Taipingshan and Alishan are two areas that cater to a similar kind of crowd, but there are also plenty more lesser-known beauty spots contained on these pages.