KEELUNG MOUNTAIN EAST PEAK (基隆山東峰)

Climbing Mount Keelung is part and parcel of the Jiufen experience. Most visitors take a break from sampling the town’s many and varied treats to climb the thigh-testing, lung-burning steps. Far fewer people know that there is a secret back-route that reaches the summit via a series of thrilling scrambles.

SMANGUS LOOKOUT and KORAW ECOLOGICAL PARK (司馬庫斯觀景臺/KORAW生態公園)

This gentle trail climbs up to a viewing platform overlooking Smangus, a secluded mountain retreat once considered Taiwan’s most remote settlement. While many visitors come to admire the village’s cherry blossom or its grove of giant trees, this forest trail at the other end of the village offers a quieter escape for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.

FENRUI HISTORIC TRAIL (奮瑞古道)

Chiayi is truly a magical place for foreign hikers hoping to experience something distinctly different from Europe or the Americas. Mountain villages accessed by historic railways, forests made of towering bamboo and slopes clad in precision-clipped rows of tea. On Fenrui Historic Trail, it’s tick, tick, tick to all of the above.

YUANTONG TEMPLE TRAIL (圓通寺步道)

Yuantong Temple is an (almost) century-old religious establishment built into the hillside of New Taipei’s Zhonghe District. The ridgeline behind it is crisscrossed with a network of trails where you can find all kinds of small shrines, statues and other interesting sights.

JIUZHIZE NATURE TRAIL (鳩之澤自然步道)

The trails in Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area are nothing if not accurately named. The Hemlock Trail weaves through moss-draped hemlock forest, the Cueifeng Lake Circular Trail encircles Cueifeng Lake, and the Jiuzhize Nature Trail is blessed with abundant nature. I have never seen so many muntjacs in one place, and certainly not such chill ones.

LIYU LAKE (鯉魚潭)

Liyu Lake (aka Carp Lake) is situated a short drive southwest of Hualien City. As the county’s largest lake, it has been spruced up with a round-lake trail to attract hikers and bikers. The lake can be visited by private car or public transport and is a relaxing outdoor excursion that’s suitable for the whole family.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (好望角)

This short almost coastal walk in Miaoli’s Houlong Township has Instagram-famous views, towering turbines, and a converted railway tunnel to keep you entertained. At just under 3km, it’s also a great little way to stretch your legs and/or catch the sunset if you’re passing through on a long drive between the north and the south.

TAIWAN BEECH NATIONAL TRAIL (台灣山毛櫸國家步道)

Tucked snuggly into the innermost reaches of Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan Beech National Trail is a pretty forested walk which takes hikers through an ancient stand of beech trees that is thought to date back to the last Ice Age.

MOUNT DASHANMU (大山母山)

Mount Dashanmu, Taiwan’s southernmost Xiao Bai Yue, is a short and sweet hike with views overlooking the coast.

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.

GUANYIN MOUNTAIN (觀音山)

Guanyin Mountain rises from the banks of Tamsui River in New Taipei’s Bali and Wugu Districts. Its nickname is tough guy peak on account of the fact that climbing it was previously used as an entoughenmemt activity for military police officers, and for those unacquainted with Taiwan’s steep, steep steps, it’s clear to see why.

DAGUI WATERFALL RIVER TRACE (大鬼瀑布溯溪)

With Taiwan’s summers dragging on for a seemingly infinite length of time, there’s nothing more appealing than immersing yourself in the nearest body of water and this easy river trace in New Taipei’s Ruifang District is a top spot to stop off on a hot day.

SHUANGQI AMBUPING TRAIL (雙崎埋伏坪步道)

Ambuping Hiking Trail is a short loop in the lower elevation part of Taichung’s Heping District. The trail encircles the Tayal tribal village of Shuangqi and takes in one peak, a section of ridgeline, and the remains of an old irrigation canal.

LALASHAN SACRED TREE TRAIL (拉拉山神木群歩道)

Lalashan — R’ra in the local Tayal language — is one of 19 such designated national forest recreation areas in Taiwan. It occupies an area of land that sits 1,500 to 2,130 metres above sea level in Taoyuan’s Fuxing District up a winding road dotted with Tayal villages. The forest is home to many ancient trees, some of them centuries old, and a pleasantly shady trail takes hikers on a meandering loop to greet these sacred giants.

NEIDONG FOREST RECREATION AREA TRAILS (內洞森林遊樂區步道)

Situated on the banks of Nanshi Creek and far away from the busy city, Neidong National Forest Recreation Area is a peaceful and pretty natural haven. The park has a total of three trails — the Scenic Trail, the Forest Bathing Trail and the Waterfall Trail — which can be woven together into a single loop, allowing you to see all that the park has to offer.

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