Photo by Dai JinYuan
Photo by Ji-Hong Zheng
THE TRAILS IN TAROKO NATIONAL PARK
When people spend a great deal of time at a single location, their fascination with the place often tends to fade. Not so with me. I once spent nearly five years working as a Park Ranger at Taroko National Park. To this day I still consider it the Wonderland of Taiwan.
Prospective
visitors often ask me how much time they should allow for a visit to the park.
I tell them that a week would not be too long. And if they wanted to, they
could stay as long as I did.
AN OVERVIEW OF TAROKO NATIONAL PARK:
The
Central Cross-Island Highway winds some 56 miles (90 km) from the Park Headquarters
to Wuling (the east and west ends of the park). Along the way the elevation
climbs from sea level to 10,740 feet (3,275 m). If you start at Taichung
you might find snow on the shaded side of Wuling, but 3 hours later you
would enjoy a warm breeze in Tienshiang. |
HEHUAN MOUNTAIN AREA:
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Photo by Dai JinYuan |
Photo by Ji-Hong Zheng |
| A visitor from France once told me that the Hehuan Mountains look very much like the Alps. Indeed you can find the same fresh air and black forests here. But the greenery that covers the mountains is not an herb - it is bamboo! And in the summer there are huge beautiful blooms all over the mountain. The flowers are extra large so they can get the most out of the short summer to attract bees and animals - and people! | |
CLOUD WATCHING
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Photo by Ji-Hong Zheng |
Photo by Jia-Zhong Qiu |
| It may seem strange, but in the mountains it is possible to look down into the clouds. It can be a spectacular view to seem them this way, illuminated by the sun, constantly changing shape in the winds of the Pacific Ocean. The best place to watch them is from Kuanyuan to Pilu. You can get out of the car and watch them at several lookouts. | |
Huoran Pavilion-Tienhsiang Trail:
| I want to tell you about this pretty trail, even though it is currently closed due to a major landslide. The Huoran Trail is only 1.24 miles (2 km) long and serves as a shortcut to Tienshang [which would be 6.24 miles (10 km) away by car].
Countless ferns and many kinds of birds and beetles give this trail its beauty. It's also a great trail for athletes to exercise and train on because there is a 1312 ft (400 meter) change in elevation along its length. At the beginning you'll have a birdseye view of Tienshang, but as the trail descends it will grow larger and larger. |
Wenshan Hot Spring:
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Before checking into the hotel at Tienshiang, you might want to go down to the river and have a relaxing bath at the Wenshan Hot Spring. The park has three thermal pools of different temperatures that are free for visitors. If you forget to bring your swimming suit, go there at night so nobody can see you. It is very romantic to light a candle on the pool's bank but a flashlight would be more practical. Unfortunately, this place seems to be shut down permanently due to the falling stones . |
Photo by Chen Ming-Zhong |
Baiyang Walterfalls Trail:
This is a fun, flat trail that is easy for everybody. There are many tunnels along this 1.2 miles (1.8 km) trail. It is possible to walk through these black tunnels without running into the walls because at the far end of the tunnel sunlight can be seen. In fact it is a wonderful experience to concentrate on other senses while walking through the tunnels. The first tunnel is the longest - about 0.23 mile (380 meters) in length. After walking along the black and green schist cliffs, you finally arrive at the Baiyang Waterfalls. These 3-tiered waterfalls are especially spectacular to see during the rainy season. The Water Curtain Tunnel at the falls is closed now because it is considered too dangerous. But it is still possible to reach the pools and feel the fresh water from it. To do so, however, you will have to pass through another tunnel and advance 0.19 mile (300 meter). But this is a dark tunnel, so it will be useful to have a flashlight with you. |
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Photo by Lin Jin-Shu |
TWO
OTHER TRAILS AT TIENSHIANG:
If you plan to stay at Tienshiang more than two days, then you have a couple more hiking options to choose from. One is the Meiyuan-Jutsuen Trail and the other is the Lotus Lake Trail. Either of these trails will require 2 days of hiking and an overnight stay.
Both trails start on the same corner of Hueitouwan, about 3.1 miles (5 km) from Tienshiang on the highway. After an easy walk of about 1.6 miles (2.5 km), you will find the "Nine Plum Trees" suspension bridge on your right. If you cross this bridge, it will lead you up to the Lotus Lake Trail. If you ignore the bridge and keep going straight, you'll end up on the Meiyuan-Jutsuen Trail.
The Meiyuan-Jutsuen Trail:
I strongly recommend that you hike the Meiyuan-Jutsuen Trail in March or in April. You'll be able to see the blossoming rapeseed plants in the village fields. When you arrive at the stunning valley terraces behind the villages, you might think that you encountered a forgotten utopia. It is an ecstatic experience to pass through the blossoming peach forest with peach petals falling all around you. It makes you feel like a dreaming poet.
If you decide to go there during the harvest season, you won't have to worry about getting thirsty. There are plenty of mulberries all along the trail. And of course there will be sweet and juicy peaches available. However, I must tell you that they aren't very cheap - a good NT$70 each!
The Lotus Lake Trail:
| The Lotus Lake Trail isn't as steep as the Huoran Trail, but it's an exhausting one. After climbing about 1,640 ft (500 meters), the trail arrives at Lotus Lake. At an elevation of 3,937 ft (1,200 meters), Lotus Lake isn't the prettiest lake in the world. The fish nibble on all of the lotus stems, making the vegetation rather unattractive. Then, to top it off, the basin cracked during an earthquake causing the lake to lose much of its water.
You probably feel that I am discouraging you from hiking the Lotus Lake Trail. No, not at all. Wandering through the bamboo forest in the morning mist is cleansing to both body and soul. Photo by Fu Jin-Fu |
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The Lushui-Heliou Trail:
| The Lushuei-Heliou Trail is about 1.24 mile (2 km) from Tienshiang. It is a narrow trail that takes you along a cliff where you can look down into the valley. There is a little tunnel and a small bridge too. If you hear a bird chirping as you cross the brook, don't spend too much time looking for it. It may instead be a Swinhoe's frog (Rana swinhoana). At the other end of the bridge you will be interested to find buds and spores on a special fernlike plant (Woodwardia prolifera). This along with other diverse vegetation gives the Lushuei Trail its special charm. |
THE MARBLE GORGE:
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Photo by Lin Shun-Jing |
Photo by Eugene Yeh |
Photo by Wu Yu-lin |
Photo by Hou JinFeng |
| The "Tunnel of Nine Turns" Trail is one that you just cannot miss. It is the best place to view Taroko's unique Marble Gorge. It is thought that the gorge was once a ditch in the ocean. Over time a mass of shells and bones accumulated, creating a vein of pure limestone which was later uplifted by the collision of two plates. A strong wind from the Pacific Ocean whistles through the gorge. | |||
SWALLOW GROTTO:
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Swallow Grotto was formed by the constant wear of pebbles in the current against the rock. It's hard to imagine that quietly flowing water could be so powerful. You can tell the direction of the current by observing the position of the grotto. You can see a rock that is being hollowed-out by the unending dripping. Incidentally, I've noticed that people tend to find the grotto more extraordinary when hiking westward (from the tunnel's darkness) rather than eastward (into the darkness). |
Photo by Ye RuiCong |
The Changchun Trail:
Carved into a memorial at the shrine are the names of more than 200 retired soldiers who died in accidents while constructing the Central Cross-Island Highway. The Changchun Shrine Trail is a short trail. You can see it ascend the mountain in a Z-shape, leading up to a Buddhist temple. |
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Photo by Dong-qin Cai |
The Sakatang Trail:
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Photo by Liao Chen |
| The Sakatang Trail is located near the Park Headquarters. From this trail you can see families barbecuing and swimming. You can also study the natural drawings on the rocks here. The curved lines in the rock tell the story of its formation. |
The Tali-Tatung Trail:
| There are still some aborigines who live in Tali and Tatung. They dislike having visitors disturb their lives and steal their chickens or their crops. People don't do these things on purpose, of course. They think they are catching a wild animal in the open country. But that's how the aborigines raise their poultry! So you cannot blame them when they mislead hikers by pulling up direction posts and resetting them to point to the wrong direction. You had better hire a guide if you insist on hiking this trail. |  |
Photo by Chen MingZhong |
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Photo by Li LongAn |
THREE RECREATION AREAS:
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Pulowan |
Lushuei |
Tienshiang |
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Photo by Xue MingJen |
Photo by Lin Chin-Te |
Photo by Eugene Yeh |
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| Tienshiang, Lushuei and Pulowan have recreation areas where you can look at informational displays and get some snacks. The panoramic display at the Headquarters shows all the trails and is especially useful. | |||
| Headquarters |
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Photo by Eugene Yeh |
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Conclusion:
Now you understand why an entire week would still not
be enough time to fully see this magnificent park. But even if you simply drive
from one end to the other, the Central Cross-Island Highway is itself a spectacular
adventure into Taroko National Park - the Wonderland of Taiwan.
Something about the author:
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Andrea Chuang Andrea is a professional Tour Manager and Tourist Guide. She has lead Taiwanese tourists to France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Hawaii, Thailand and Mainland China. She is now focusing on tours of Taiwan for visitors from foreign countries. Andrea is also the editor of the website: www.traveltaiwan.com. |
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