A HIKER’S GUIDE TO TAROKO NATIONAL PARK

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The Taroko National Park is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan. This one, created in 1986,  is 920 square kilometer and its mountains can reach over 3000 meters high – its main peak, Mount Nanhu is actually 3742 meters high and it does snow there during Winter time (yeah I know, it’s also hard for me to imagine snow in Taiwan!)

The mountains of Taroko seems to rise directly from the Pacific Ocean on its easternmost side and constitutes the northern part of the Central Mountain Range on its westernmost side.

(Lis cet article en Français, bébé!)

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What’s very peculiar about Taroko is its wonderful gorge carved by the Liwu River into the marble. Some sections of the gorge are so narrow it’s surreal. The cliffs are steep, the rock folds impressive and glancing up or down is quite a unique experience.

Taroko is also home to an aboriginal tribe: the Truku tribe. In 1914, when the Japanese were about to take control of the land of Taroko, the Truku tribe fought hard to protect their land and properties. However, they were outnumbered and their weapons were not as good as the Japanese’s ones so they finally surrendered after 3 months of battle.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(Because this post is seriously too long)

• INTRODUCTION TO THE TAROKO NATIONAL PARK
• GOOD TO KNOW
• MY 6 FAVORITE TRAILS 
• SOME OTHER TRAILS WORTH THE WALK
• ON THE WAY
• AROUND TAROKO

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INTRODUCTION TO THE TAROKO NATIONAL PARK

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• WHEN TO GO?

Taroko National Park can be visited all year round. However, from May to September, there could be heavy rain falls, as well as typhoons, causing landslides and the closure of some trails. But that mustn’t stop you! Even on the rainy season, the rain will start approximately around 16:00 or 17:00 which gives you all the time you need to walk some trails.

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• HOW TO GET THERE?

• By Public Transport:

The Taroko Shuttle Bus departs from Hualien Train Station almost every hour and stops at the main spots of the National Park until Tianxiang. Inside the National Park, several buses, including the 302, will stop at the different touristic sites and will depart from Xincheng.

• By car/scooter:

Driving a car or a scooter is definitely the fastest and most convenient way around Taroko. You can stop everywhere you want, whenever you want, and even go further past Tianxiang, the Shuttle Bus terminus. Be careful though, there are not that many gas station in the park – bringing a map of Taroko National Park is definitely a must.

• YOU CAN RENT A SCOOTER FOR CHEAP IN HUALIEN RIGHT HERE

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•  WHAT TO BRING IN MY BACKPACK?

Inside the National Park, there are not that many places providing convenient stores, food, water or even gasoline. On hot days, you’d better pack up loads of water as well as a picnic and check on the map places where you could stop to refill. Be sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, good shoes but also a light raincoat in case the rain starts while you’re still hiking. And obviously, bring your camera, you’re going to take shitloads of pictures!

Be sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, good shoes but also a light raincoat (like those yellow poncho that you can find in the convenient stores) in case the rain starts while you’re still hiking (yeah, that happened to me as well). And obviously, bring your camera, you’re going to take shitloads of pictures!

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GOOD TO KNOW

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• TRAIL CONDITIONS

Since the Taroko National Park is subject to impressive weather changes and that the terrain is highly unstable and prone to earthquakes, some trails are permanently closed, some trails are partially closed and some trails are in bad conditions. From one day to another, depending on the rain falls, landslides or rock falls, the trails conditions might change. So before heading to Taroko, be sure to check out the trail’s conditions on the website to make sure the trails you wanted to hike are actually opened:

• CHECK OUT THE TRAIL CONDITIONS

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HIKING PERMITS

Some hikes like the famous Zhuilu Old Road requires permits, that you need to apply for at least 3 days before you go. You can apply online, through the Taroko website, and you’ll need to have a passport number, a local phone number but also a Taiwanese emergency contact who’ll be the Person on Duty Contact.

APPLY FOR YOUR PARK PERMIT

You also need to apply for a mountain entry permit from the National Police Agency – which is located at the Visitor Center. It’s also possible to apply online a few days in advance, although I couldn’t find the English version of the website:

APPLY FOR YOUR (POLICE) MOUNTAIN PERMIT

When you have your permits you need to pay a fee (200NT$ for the Zhuilu Old Road) at the Tollbooth Station.

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DANGEROUS ANIMALS

While hiking some trails, you’ll stumble upon various signs warning you about dangerous animals that can be found along the way. No need to say there are huge spiders almost everywhere (welcome to Taiwan, baby) but they look pretty harmless – although I certainly won’t recommend starting to play with their huge spider webs.

But there are also giant hornets and poisonous snakes in Taroko, and I even encountered a freaking cobra on one of my hikes. So, be careful, wear long pants, and make some noise while walking – either with a walking stick or by singing at the top of your lungs. Having some insect repellent would also make your hikes more enjoyable so the mosquitoes won’t be feeding continuously on your fresh tourist’s blood.

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MY 6 FAVORITE TRAILS 

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•  DEKALUN-DALI TRAIL (3.5 km) / DEKALUN-DALI-DATONG TRAIL (3.5 + 2.9 km via the Tongli Trail or 6.4km via the Shakandang Logging Road) (Hiking Trails)

The Dekalun-Dali Trail was my first hiking-alone trail. The Dekalun Trail starts at the Taroko Visitor Center (beside the toilets and the shuttle bus stop) and, although quite steep, there are staircases all along the way. Reaching the Dali Trail, there are no staircases anymore, so it requires some to be extra careful for the rocks are slippery and the trail could be a bit muddy.

Dali and Datong are two indigenous villages located up in the mountains above Taroko Terrace. There is no road access to get there, except those trails. This is why you might encounter villagers going up or down the trail with huge backpacks in order to resupply themselves. This trail used to be a logging road, where logs were carried down the mountain on a cableway.

As reaching Dali, your exhausting hike up the mountain in the dense forest will be rewarded with this little mountain abandoned-like village of Dali, where the view is completely stunning. The place is so quiet and relaxing and the abandoned church is surely the best picnic spot to contemplate the clouds dancing on top of the surrounding mountains.

After Dali, you can either go back down to Taroko Visitor Center or keep going to Datong. However, a permit is required past Dali, and since the trail is steep and exhausting, you’d better plan two days to hike this trail and come back.

Beware of wild and dangerous animals such as giant spiders and venomous snakes: I encountered a cobra on my way back and it scared the shit out of me (I learned afterward that Dali’s original name “Xoxos” actually means “place with many snakes”…) In any case, remain calm and leave the scene quickly until the animal leaves the trail.

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• SHAKADANG (4.1 km) (Scenic Trail)

Shakadang trail follows the Shakadang River for about 4 kilometers along its entire length. It’s a very easy walk, mostly flat and maintained with a wooden path. The water of Shakadang’s river is crystal clear, as opposed to the Liwu River which is most of the time greyish. With the yellowish rocks around displaying beautiful folds, the contrast is pretty amazing.

The Shakadang is one of the most famous trails in Taroko, so it’s crowded with tourists most of the time. To avoid the crowd, it’s better to walk it really early in the morning or in the late afternoon when most of the tourist’s buses left the park.

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• YANZIKOU/SWALLOW GROTTO TRAIL (710 m) (Scenic Trail)

Right after the entrance of the Zhuilu Trail stands the most impressive part of the Taroko National Park: the Yanzikou Trail. Here, the Liwu River narrows and this is without any doubts the most magnificent part of the Taroko Gorge. Its English name “Swallow Grotto” actually comes from the Swallow birds which enjoy gliding their way into the gorge.

The marble gorge is huge here, and while walking along this easy path under the cliffs, you’ll feel as if the mountains are touching the sky – you’ll feel really small down there. I’ve never seen something like this before, the gorge is really impressive and it’s hard to believe how this wonder was created.

After Jingheng Park and the end of the trail, I’ll urge you to keep going and take a look at the gorge and the huge Zhuilu Cliffs further down the road.

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• ZHUILU OLD TRAIL (3.1 km) (Mountaineering Trail)

This trail is the most famous hiking trail in Taroko. As so, you need to get a permit to hike, for it’s only limited to 96 people per day, 156 people on holidays. The reason is that the trail is only one meter wide, and goes along the Zhuilu Cliff about 500 meters above the Liwu River. No need to see it’s very much impressive and not suitable for people afraid of heights.

Zhuilu Road was actually built during the Japanese Colonial Period. The police would control the passersby in Taroko area in Badagang, which was an important base at that time: there was a police station, a guesthouse for travellers, and even an aboriginal school. Nowadays, only some pillars and ruins are left from this period, and the hikers are greeted by two huge pillars when entering the remains of the village.

As for the trail, after crossing the most impressive suspension bridge I’ve ever seen, it goes up in the dense forest for about 2 km, passing by Badagang and the Badagang suspension bridge. The trail is super narrow indeed, but it gets a bit scary when you reach the cliff side. For about 1 km, the void is appealing on your left, and the ropes don’t seem to be that much of help in case of a fall. In a tunnel, there’s a little Buddha statue carved on the wall, with offerings from hikers.

The panoramic view from the Zhuilu Cliff is stunning. I was basically up above a gorgeous gorge, and the feeling of vertigo and majestic beauty made me dizzy. It’s surely one of the best views over the National Park.

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• BAIYANG TRAIL (2.1 km) (Scenic Trail)

About 900 m West of Tianxiang along the Central-Cross Island highway, in the Ming Tunnel, you’ll find the entrance to the Baiyang Trail -another tunnel, leading behind the mountain. If you’re afraid of the dark, it’s best if you bring up a torch: there are 8 tunnels on this trail! The trail is mainly flat, like a nice stroll along the river gorge.

The Taci Jili River is running along your side until you reach the little suspension bridge allowing you to see the marvellous Baiyang Waterfall. This waterfall takes its source in the Sanzhan River and comes flushing down the Taci Jili River.

From the viewing deck, the vista is impressive, on one side, the majestic Bayiang Waterfall, that you can spot on different levels in the mountains, and on the other side, the impressive river flow of the Taci Jili River making a thunderous sound. The platform is indeed a hell of a good spot for a picnic before returning exploring Tianxiang.

Please note that the part of the trail leading to the Water Curtain Cave was still closed when I went there, so I don’t have any picture of this curious phenomenon!

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• WENSHAN HOT SPRINGS TRAIL (Trail Closed)