Carp Hill Trail is a lovely walk whatever time of day you go, but I hope this post emboldens you to pay it an after-dark visit. Not only is it home to a wonderfully diverse range of nocturnal critters, but it also has a prettily sparkling night view to enjoy all by yourself.
TAIPEI CITY EASY HIKE
FIREFLY SPOTTING at YUANJUE WATERFALL (圓覺瀑布螢火蟲)
If you check online for the best places to see fireflies in Taipei, then one of the locations that appears in many of the lists is Dagouxi Waterfront Park. In fact, this is a little misleading since - while the walk does start there - you need to head a little further into the dark to spot any fireflies.
TAIPEI SKYLINE TRAIL: SECTION 8
This leg of the Taipei Skyline Trail (best done in one concerted push), takes you through along a pleasant and mostly very gentle ridge. As you make your way towards the centre of Taiwan's ceramic industry, you'll pass multiple peaks, an ancient banyan tree, and a legendary rock.
TAIPEI SKYLINE TRAIL: SECTION 7B
This section of the TSLT picks up in Wugu and makes its way through some pleasant edge-of-the-city type trails as it skirts the northwestern edge of Taipei.
TAIPEI SKYLINE TRAIL: SECTION 7A
Section 7A of the Taipei Skyline Trail sees you scaling Mount Guanyin the hard way, before leading you along a quieter stretch of path to the place where Taiwan's Robin Hood (allegedly) met his end.
TAIPEI SKYLINE TRAIL: SECTION 6B
This section of the Taipei Skyline Trail offers grand views over Yangmingshan Park's western hills, as it takes walkers over the steep (and often) muddy peaks of the Mount Datun range.
TAIPEI SKYLINE TRAIL: SECTION 6A
Most of the Taipei Skyline Trail's sixth instalment covers trails within Taipei National Park. This first half takes you along the same route as the Taipei Grand Hike, and also happens to be one of the prettiest easily-accessed walks in the park.
TAIPEI SKYLINE TRAIL: SECTION 5B
The fifth section of the Taipei Skyline Trail sees you leaving Yangmingshan Park behind and entering Keelung. This section covers a long (muddy) ridge walk between Fengguizi and the very edge of Keelung City.
ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN to LION MOUNTAIN LOOP (象山/獅山O型)
Lurking in the hills below Mount Nangang and 95 Peak are wild animals. An elephant, a lion, a tiger and a leopard which are collectively known as the Four Beasts. (Ok, so technically they're hills rather than real beasts.) This loop takes in two of the four, and explores some of the lesser known trails in the area.
THUMB MOUNTAIN SUNRISE (拇指山日出)
There is something undeniably special about hiking up through the thinning dark to watch the sun cast its first rays over the landscape. This short trail in Taipei's Xinyi District offers a great vantage point to see the sun come up, and observe the city as it gets ready to start a new day
TIANMU WATER PIPE TRAIL and BANLING CANAL via MOUNT SHAMAO (天母水管路/紗帽山/半嶺古圳)
The trails in Tianmu are some of the better-known trails in the foothills of Yangmingshan National Park Despite this, there are always places you've never been, and even revisiting familiar paths will show you a new side to the place.
QIXING SHAN NIGHT HIKE (七星山夜爬)
Qixing Shan attracts walkers year-round for its expansive views, bamboo-lined paths and volcanic geology. As Taipei's highest mountain, it is a must-climb for the city's population of avid hikers, but how many of them can say they have climbed it in the dark?
JIUZHUANG SHAN (舊莊山)
Jiuzhuang Shan is a small hill in Taipei’s Nangang District, immediately opposite the campus of Academia Sinica. A wander along the trails will introduce you to a number of distinguished academics who were associated with the institution during their lifetimes.
JIANTAN TRAIL NIGHT HIKE (劍潭山步道夜爬)
There are lots of trails close to the city that offer opportunities for exploring after dark. The ever popular Jiantan Hiking Trail is one such route - although if you visit at night you can expect to have the paths almost entirely to yourselves.
NANGANG TEA MOUNTAIN TRAIL (南港茶山步道 )
If you picture Nangang District in your mind what do you see? The train station? The exhibition centre? The giant software park? I bet you didn’t envision quiet hillsides cloaked with neat rows of tea. This trail offers an insight into a side of Nangang that not so many people know about.
taiwan trails and tales 