Does anyone have any recommendations of good non-mountainous/hilly hiking trails or interesting walks in the Taipei area?
So many of the hiking trails here have far too many steps which make them unenjoyable for me. Does anyone have any recommendations for relaxing, easy-going ones which don’t take me up steps? Bonus if there is something interesting along the route.
An example of one which I like is the trail from Ruifang station to the mining area near Houtong Cat Village. It’s a couple of miles, pretty level and has an interesting place at the end of it.
Wulai, the road that goes towards Yilan. Once you get to the Police station (a taxi can get you there from Wulai) you have two options, keep walking the same road, or turn right. Both are good options.
Jūngōng shān 軍功山 trail has relatively no stairs until you get to Fuzhoushan coming back down to Street level heading back to Taipei. Or less stairs exiting at Fuyang Park. Can take bus to near beginning. Some great city views. Relaxed walk Various offshoots to the main trail. About 90 minutes one way.
If you avoid that most popular access point near 101 and instead enter from the north side I think they are much less stairs or trail variations to avoid stairs.
I’m planning to explore this area before it gets hot again.
It is a road, but that does not mean it has cars. The road that turns right from the police station is a gravel road, virtually no cars there. The road that goes East has a gate few km after the police station, virtually no cars after the gate, very very few before it.
Last time we went there we drove to the gate (asking for permission to police), then we walked the baby stroller go and back for 22 km. Only 3 or 4 scooters, no cars.
Erziping trail on Yangmingshan. All flat, shaded within trees, fresh air. The national park’s minibus will drop you at the trailhead. Another flat hike that’s also within the park is Qingtiangang grass land. Take the same minibus, get off at Qingtiangang. It has no trees though, but for something interesting, you can watch the buffalos.
Just in general, in the Taipei area, there are almost no such trails. It’s either steep and mountainous, or not steep and taken over by humans. In between are parks or minor roads through the countryside. If you have your own means of transport or you don’t mind taking the minibus from Shuangxi Station, a great area for long walks through the forest without much climbing is Shuangxi District (Hubaotan/虎豹潭 and Wantan/灣潭). Love that area.
That’s one of the downsides of Taipei. Lots of hiking trails, but they’re just not suitable for me and my knees because of all the steps. Or, like you say, too crowded.
I’ll check some of the suggestions made here out. The Maokong one looks good.