NANTOU COUNTY HIKING TRAILS

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

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.

99 PEAKS FOREST TRAIL (九九峰森林步道)

The Ninety-Nine Peak Trail in Nantou is a short hike that can be completed within a couple of hours. It has been voted as one of the six best trails in Nantou and takes hikers through some geographically interesting terrain.

CHERRY BLOSSOM at CAOPINGTOU (草坪頭櫻花季)

Caopingtou Yushan Tourist Tea Garden is one of Taiwan’s premier cherry blossom viewing spots. Each year, thousands of trees paint the slopes in beautiful shades of pink, drawing in blossom lovers from far and wide.

GUOXING INTERCHANGE VIEWING AREA (國姓橋聳雲天觀賞點)

Freeway Number 6’s Guoxing Interchange in Nantou’s Guoxing Township has previously won the top spot in a nationwide contest to find the most impressive motorway scenes. Visitors who wish to see this winning scenery for themselves can enjoy a short stroll beneath the towering roads.

MOUNT DAHENGPING (大橫屏山)

This quiet ridge hike straddles the border of Taichung and Nantou Counties. In clear weather, it offers a few views, but even on hazy days, the forest scenery makes for pleasant walking.

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.

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.

MOUNT MAOLAN (貓蘭山)

This short and very easy trail can be done as part of a visit to Nantou’s Sun Moon Lake. Along the way you’ll learn a little about the history of tea in Taiwan, and tick off another of the 100 Minor Peaks.

HENG SHAN (橫山)

This easy walk straddling the border of Changhua and Nantou Counties takes in number 48 of Taiwan’s Xiao Bai Yue.

PHOENIX MOUNTAIN (鳳凰山)

Xitou is probably most famous for its Japanese folklore inspired monster village, but for those who prefer to escape the crowds, there are lots of hiking trails too. The climb up to Phoenix Mountain follows an atmospheric cloud-cloaked ridge line through towering bamboo forest, exactly the kind of place where you might run into a real mythological creature.

QILAI NANHUA TRAIL – DAY 2 (奇萊南華步道)

Qilai South Peak and Nanhua Shan are two of Taiwan’s famed ‘100 Peaks’. If you have no experience of high mountains, these two are a pretty good place to start. This post covers the second day of the two day journey.

QILAI NANHUA TRAIL – DAY 1 (奇萊南華步道)

Qilai South Peak and Nanhua Shan are two of Taiwan’s famed ‘100 Peaks’. If you have no experience of high mountains, these two are a pretty good place to start. This post covers the first day of the two day journey.

HUTOU SHAN TO LIYU LAKE (虎頭山/鯉魚潭)

This little there-and-back in Puli township would make for a perfect romantic afternoon stroll. Start from the top and head down for a lakeside wander and maybe a coffee before making your way uphill in time to catch the sunset as it plays out over the city below.

LONGFENG FALLS (龍鳳瀑布)

A short, simple, there-and-back type of trail which takes you to two reasonably tall waterfalls. Bring the bug spray and a small picnic to enjoy a comfortable afternoon listening to the soothing sounds of water and paddling in the pools under the falls.