TAIWAN HIKING PERMITS

Questions about hiking permits seem to be by far the most frequently asked on the hiking Facebook groups because they’re one of the biggest logistical headaches for foreign hikers in Taiwan. Even as someone who has lived in Taiwan for quite a few years, I rarely bother with hikes that require permits because they’re such a pain in the arse. But don’t let that put you off. If you’re a more patient person than me, figuring out how to apply for permits will grant you access to some of Taiwan’s most beautiful scenery.

As you’re reading these, please remember that I am just an individual who spends a lot of time hiking. While the content you’ll find here is accurate to the best of my knowledge, I might have made mistakes or the information might have been updated. Always make sure you double-check. And if you notice any of the information here is out of date or inaccurate, or if you spot a broken link, please let me know. Taiwanese government websites have a pesky habit of being valid for just the briefest amount of time and I often don’t notice unless it’s pointed out to me.

Do I need a permit to hike in Taiwan?

The answer is both yes and no. The vast majority of trails in Taiwan do not require a permit. However, for many trails within National Parks, visitors must apply for a permit before visiting. On this site, the uptop overview of each trail will indicate whether or not a permit is required, and in cases where one is needed, you’ll find further explanation of how to apply. Currently, the only permit-dedicated page on this site is a guide to applying for Yangmingshan National Park permits.

Which trails and parks need a permit in Taiwan?

Permits are required for most trails within these three national parks: Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園), Shei-Pa National Park (雪霸國家公園), and Yushan National Park (玉山國家公園). Additionally, there are some trails in Yangmingshan National Park that require permits, as well as some other protected areas and reserves such as the Beichatian Nature Preserve (插天山自然保留區).

How do I know if I need a permit to hike in Taiwan?

If your trail takes you within the boundaries of Taroko National Park, Shei-Pa National Park, or Yushan National Park, it is exceedingly likely that you will need to apply for a permit. Most hikes outside of these areas do not require one. However, there are some exceptions to the rule in both cases. Mount Mawuba, for example, is a walk that can be done within the boundary of Shei-Pa National Park without a permit, while Mount Xiao Guanyin is a peak near Taipei that needs a permit.

How to apply for hiking permits in Taiwan?

The answer to this question depends largely on which trail you wish to hike. Yushan, Taroko and Shei-Pa National Parks all share a website, but the application portal for each is on its own separate page. Applications for other protected areas are handled separately by the relevant authorities. See the following questions for more specific answers.

How to apply for permits in Yushan National Park?

Yushan National Park permits can be applied for here. Foreigners wishing to apply for the standard two-day route up this national park’s namesake (Jade Mountain), should select the “Paiyun Lodge Advanced Application” option. You can find the availability of campgrounds and beds in Yushan National Park on this page, and the current status of all trails within the park can be found here.

How to apply for permits in Shei-Pa National Park?

Shei-Pa National Park permits can be applied for here. The Hike Smart Taiwan website is now shared with Yushan, Taroko, and basically everywhere (excluding Yangmingshan) which has helped simplify things a bit. You can find the current status of all trails within the park here.

How to apply for permits in Taroko National Park?

The availability and capacity for trails Taroko National Park permits (including Zhuilu Old Trail) can be seen here. You can find the availability of campgrounds and beds in Taroko National Park on this page, and the current status of all trails within the park can be found here.

How to apply for permits in Yanmingshan National Park?

There is only a handful of trails in Yangmingshan National Park that require permits. You can read a thorough walk-through of how to apply for these permits here.

How to apply for permits to hike Mianyue Line?

You can find a step-by-step guide to applying for the Mianyue Line (眠月線) hike here.

How to apply for hikes in other protected areas?

Applications for hiking in other nature reserves or ecologically sensitive areas like Mianyue Line (眠月線) and Fuba Historic Trail (福巴越嶺) have historically been made via this website, but they’re now transitioning over to the same Hike Smart Taiwan site as the rest of the permits. I have had some problems using the new site though, so if you get stuck, it’s worth giving the old one a go.

Which hikes in Taiwan don’t need a permit?

Thankfully, there are endless hikes in Taiwan that don’t require any permits. If you visit the “search” page of this site and look at the map, the only trails that require a permit are those that I’ve indicated in blue. Personally, although I plan thoroughly, the rest of my day-to-day life means I rarely have the time or inclination to plan things months in advance (which is required by most permit hikes).

What is a Mountain Entry Permit?

In addition to requiring a permit to hike the trail (called a National Park Permit), some trails also require a separate Mountain Entry Permit (also called a Police Permit). While the National Park Permits serve to limit the number of people entering each trail on a daily basis, the Mountain Entry Permit is there more to ensure that everyone who goes into the hills is accounted for, and so that if any accident were to happen, the search and rescue teams would have a good idea of where to start. In actuality, a single permit should be enough to cover both things, and thankfully some places seem to be moving away from this dual-permit system.

Is a Mountain Entry Permit the same as a National Park Permit?

No. A National Park Permit is not the same as a Mountain Entry Permit. Some trails need one, some need the other, and some need both.

Is a Mountain Entry Permit the same as a Police Permit?

Yes. Police Permit and Mountain Entry Permit are both names for the same thing.

How do I know if I need a Mountain Entry Permit?

Shei-Pa National Park no longer requires visitors to apply for a Mountain Entry Permit in addition to their National Park Permit. And if you’re planning on visiting Zhuliu Old Trail in Taroko National Park or Jade Mountain in Yushan National Park, you don’t need to apply for one either.

How to apply for a Mountain Entry Permit in Taiwan?

There are two ways to apply for Mountain Entry Permits. The easiest way to apply for a Mountain Entry Permit for hikes in Taroko or Yushan National Park can do so via this page on the Yushan, Taroko and Shei-Pa National Park shared website. The second way you can apply involves physically turning up at the poice station responsible for issuing permits in the region you’ll be walking in.

Do you need two Mountain Entry Permits if your hike passes two national parks?

Yes, you need a separate Mountain Entry Permit for each of the national parks that your hike will pass through.

Do I need to print out the permits before I go?

Yes. You should print two copies of each permit document you receive. One is to give to whoever is checking them, and the other is to be kept on your person in case any park officials request to see it at any later time.

Do I need to take my permit with me when I go hiking in Taiwan?

Yes. If you need to apply for a permit, you will need to take the permit with you on the day of your hike. You will also need to take copies of the identification documents used to apply so that they can be checked against the information on the permits.

Can I change the members of my group after I have applied for a permit in Taiwan?

The only group member who can be changed is the group leader. If for some reason, the origial group leader is no longer able to lead the group, they may be replaced once per permit application. No other group members can be changed.

Can I add a member to my group after I have applied for a permit?

No. It is not possible for additional group members to join a permit application once it has been made.

Do I need to cancel my permit if I can’t hike?

Yes. If all the members of your group (or some members) are unable to go, you must cancel the permit(s). You can cancel permits for individuals or for the whole group. However, you won’t be able to cancel the leader’s permit unless all if the other group members’ permits are also cancelled. Failure to do so could result in you being banned from reapplying for a number of months.

How to cancel hiking permits in Taiwan?

If you need to cancel your permits, you can do so via the same website you used to apply for them.

Is it difficult to get permits for hikes in Taiwan?

It can be very hard to secure permits for the most popular routes, and doubly so on weekends and national holidays. Some people try multiple times before securing a permit to climb Jade Mountain. That said, there are loopholes for foreign visitors for a couple of trails (specifically Jade Mountain and Zhuliu Historic Trail). Midweek (Sunday to Thursday), 24 spots are reserved for foreign guests for Jade Mountain, and to make things easier, foreign tourists can apply for these up to 4 months in advance (locals can only apply two months in advance).

For less popular routes or midweek walks, you stand a much higher chance of being able to secure a spot the first time you apply.

How much does it cost to get Taiwan hiking permits?

National Park Permits and Mountain Entry Permits are free. However, there are often other upfront costs associated with hiking these trails (such as accommodation fees, meal fees, equipment rental, and in some cases, park entrance tickets).

Are there any services that can help me apply for hiking permits in Taiwan?

Some of the groups and companies listed on my “references” page can also provide this service, but I have no personal experience with those. I am also currently looking to branch out into this area myself, so if this is something that you’re considering, please drop me a line either via the contact form on this site, or via the commission section of my Buy Me a Coffee page.

Why do you need a permit to hike in Taiwan?

This seemingly simple question has quite a complex answer. Taiwan’s mountain permit system is rooted in the era of Japanese occupation and later period of martial law overseen by the KMT. Throughout this span of time, the mountains were considered sensitive areas—home to Taiwanese aboriginal peoples and hard to police due to their rugged and wild topography. Anyone wishing to enter the mountains could only do so with permission from the police. The current police permits are more-or-less just the fossil record of this practise. A secondary and more contemporary reason for having permits is that the government wishes to limit the damage to mountain ecosystems by capping the number of visitors.

What happens if you get caught hiking without a valid permit in Taiwan?

Firstly, let me just say: don’t. Just don’t. If you’re reading this page, I’m assuming you’re probably a foreign resident or visitor in Taiwan, and on behalf of the rest of Taiwan’s foreign resident community, I strongly urge you not to give the local gutter press any more fodder to report on dumb foreigners doing dumb things. Because—quite aside from any legal or financial repercussions—you can sure as hell bet that by getting caught hiking without a permit you will earn yourself a spot on the nightly “news” bulletin and maybe a short feature in a newspaper. So, with that out of the way, there are other repercussions to consider. People who are caught face fines (I think the fine is currently anything up to NT$30,000) and bans on entering specific areas. The same goes for people who do have a permit but swap group members without notifying the authorities or those who abuse the system in other ways. Furthermore, if you hike without a permit, any insurance you may have will become invalid.