Although places like Pingxi, Yangming Shan and Huangdidian have quite a few good hiking routes with good views, other places seem to only offer thickly wooded peaks all along the ridge line. After concentrating on the back woods S.E. of Sanxia and also paths in and around Shuangxi and Houtong this year, I’ve come up with a few hikes offering nice views that are also a bit further afield and might interest those people who live outside Taipei City.
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Nan’ao to Dong’ao. This hiking path got renovated a few years ago, but it would be worth asking locals if it has survived the various drenchings of the past few months. From Nan’ao train station walk north to the port village and the hike begins behind a temple on the left. The trail goes up through forest, crossing the old cliff edge road up to a ridge overlooking the Pacific. This is one of the few places where it is possible to hike next to the coast and high up. The views are mostly at the high point and the path comes down to a Radar Base side road that joins the main No 9 Hwy. Highest point is 702 m.
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Wuzi Shan. 1026 m. This is in Hsinchu County and is the highest peak on the range west of Wufeng which is on the County Road 122 that goes from Chudong to Qingquan. There are several mountain roads that have a few different paths converging on the ridge at different points as well as a dirt road that’s being used to build a weather station nearby. Nice views of the Hsinchu County backwoods to the west. This area is on the Sun River box set of seven 1:50,000 scale western mountain series.
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Sanguikeng Shan. 536 m. This peak is west of Houtong train station, but is best approached by taking the route south from Ruifang. The path isn’t very popular, but the all around view is excellent. Map 11 of the Northern Taiwan series.
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Sanjiolun Shan. 1028 m. This is south of the Bei-1 Hwy about 10 km south of Pinglin. This is the mountain towering above the Sacred Mother Peak hike that begins out of Jiaoxi in Yilan County and which is written up in R.Saunders’ Taipei Escapes Vol 1.If the grass isn’t too overgrown the peak has excellent views and there are views along the ridge line too. When I first climbed this peak I took the longer path from the Bei-Yi Hwy and it was an unforgettable view to look down at the coast and the little island of concrete next to the church on the ridge. Probably need two if not three days for that and an excellent weather forecast. Map 14 of the Northern Taiwan series.
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Dongyang Shan. 1213 m. No public transport to the forestry park named after this peak, but the park people have recently put in a raised viewing platform on the peak. Great views. What is also not so well-known is that there is also a path going on further up the ridge with one route leading on to Beichatian Shan and another path dropping down to Manyueyuan Forestry Park. Those kind of routes need an overnight camp and a good supply of water. Also, it’s a good idea to check if Manyueyuan has been re-opened after recent renovations. Map 5 of the Northern Taiwan series.
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Junda Shan. 3265 m. Finally got around to this relatively easy high mountain peak just east of the village Tongfutsuen on the way to Dongpu in Nantou County. Across the valley, the entire Alishan Range can be seen as well as Yu Shan and surrounding peaks, bringing back memories of various adventures there and elsewhere. But to hike here on a cloudy, drizzly day would involve a thorough soaking from the surrounding undergrowth. Having good weather is so essential for safety as well as those good views.