If you
enjoy nature, hiking, sightseeing, or just want a way to get out and about,
then look no further than Taroko Gorge. Taroko
Gorge is one of those places whose sheer beauty and grandness has caused it to
be touted as one of Taiwan’s most beautiful places.
 |
| River through Taroko Gorge |
When
we were planning our trip to the Taroko Gorge we were under the impression,
brought about by not really doing our research, that we would be able to just
show up at the park, do a hike, maybe camp overnight, and then leave. Although in some cases this can be done, we
were unaware at the enormity of the park.
The national park consists of a series of trails, both long and short,
that jut off of the main road that passes through the gorge on its way west. Most of the trails take anywhere from 45
minutes to 3 hours to complete, with a few that are multi-day hikes. One thing I wish I had known in advance of our
trip here was that the multi-day hikes take a permit to do. There is a limit to the number of people that
can do these hikes each day, since they go through protected areas, so it is
best to apply for the permit early.
 |
| Mountains in Taroko Gorge |
There is no entry fee to the
park, but you need to spend a little money on transportation to and around the
park to be able to fully enjoy it (more on that latter). Although you can hike along the road from trailhead to trailhead, I don’t recommend it.
There isn’t a lot of traffic on the road, but the distance between each
trail is significant enough that I feel it would be a waste of time to do
this.
My Experience
 |
| Suspension bridge on the Jhuilu Old Trail |
A
fairly large earthquake hit Hualien just before we arrived in Taiwan causing a lot
of damage and the closure of Taroko Gorge.
We were unsure if the park would even be open by the time we got there,
but fortunately they began to open trail by trail, and most of it was open when
we arrived (I recommend checking for closures before going, as earthquakes,
landslides, and washouts happen here from time to time). As I mentioned above, we also did not know
that we needed a permit for the longer hike (Jhuilu Old Trail),
so we were unfortunately unable to do this hike.
 |
| Rock slide at the Jhuilu Old Trail |
Having
bought the hop on/off bus pass, we boarded the first bus at 7am and headed towards
the park. The night before we had looked
over the park map (retrieved from the bus station) and decided the places we
wanted to stop. Our DIY tour took us to
Shakadang Trail - Swallow Grotto - Lushui-Heliu Trail – Tianxiang Village
– Eternal Spring Shrine – Qixingtan Beach.
Shakadang Trail
 |
| Cliff tunnel and river on the Shakadang Trail |
This trail is 4.5 km long and is
stated to take 2-4 hours (it only took us 45 minutes but we walked the first
half fairly quickly). The trail is rated
as a casual walking trail and is fairly level for the whole distance of the
trail. Being both located nearer to the
entrance of the park and an easy hike has made it one of the more popular
trails, so you will want to hit this one early.
The trail being an out and back, you will get to see everything twice, so
if there are a lot of people blocking that great picture opportunity you can
always try again on the way back.
 |
| Shakadang Trail |
 |
| River along Shakadang Trail |
Taking the stairs case down from
the bridge will get you to the trail itself.
From there the trail winds along with the river on one side and the
cliffs on the other. At times the cliff
curls over the trail creating a semi-tunnel for you to walk through. The scenery on this trail is beautiful to say
the least. The river is an extremely clear
turquoise and rolls though and over huge boulders on its way to the ocean.
Swallow Grotto
 |
| Vehicle tunnel and walkway at Swallow Grotto |
Swallow
Grotto is not so much a trail as it is a walkway aside the road. The pathway leads you through a long tunnel with
openings looking out over a deep gorge.
The gorge contains small caves where swallow nest, giving it its
name.
 |
| Swallow Grotto |
Lushui-Heliu Trail
 |
| Suspension bridge on the Lushui Trail |
This
is a great scenic trail that takes you up into the lush forest of the mountain
side. Some of the great sights on this
trail include a short suspension bridge, a 30m dark tunnel (so bring a
light/phone), and a cliffside trail overlooking the gorge and river with the mountains
in the distance. The trail goes between
the Lushui Geological Exhibition Hall and Heliu Campground.
 |
| A dark tunnel on the Lushui Trail |
Tianxiang Village
 |
| A pegoda at the Xiangde Temple |
Tianxiang
is a small village at the end of the bus line.
It has a few places to get drinks and eat if you are hungry. There is also the Xiangde Temple across the
river that you can hike up to.
Eternal Spring Shrine
 |
| Eternal Spring Shrine |
Built
to commemorate those who died building the Central Cross-Island Highway through
Taroko National Park, the picturesque Eternal Spring Shrine is a beautiful
temple sitting atop a natural spring gushing out of the rocks into a waterfall. To get to it you have to walk down into a
small cave, where there is a shrine to those who died. Then the path leads you through a tunnel to the
shrine.
 |
| Shrine for those who died building the highway |
This
was the main sight I wanted to see in Taroko Gorge, but due to the earthquake
the site was closed. We were only able
to make it part of the way through the tunnel before it was gated off. You are still able to see the Eternal Spring Shrine
from the road though.
Qixingtan Beach
 |
| Qixingtan's rocky beach |
Qixingtan
Beach isn’t actually in Taroko Gorge but is located just outside Hualien. It is part of the bus route though. The beach is not made of sand but of smooth rocks
of varying size, making it a unique but beautiful beach. There is also a WWII military airfield here
that is still in use today. Due to it
still being used, you are not able to tour or take pictures of it. This being the case, you can still see the earth
covered hangers over the wall and a few bunkers outside the military base as
well.
 |
| WWII bunker at Qixingtan Beach |
Getting There
There
are both buses and trains that travel from Taipei to either Taroko Gorge or
Hualien. If you are planning to use the
hop on/off bus though, I recommend taking the train to Hualien since this is
the location of the bus station. The
train leaves from the Taipei Main Station multiple times a day.
Getting Around Taroko Gorge
 |
| River at the Jhuilu Old Trail trailhead |
As I
mentioned before, Taroko Gorge encompasses a huge piece of territory and although
you may want to take it all in, you don’t want to spend all your time walking
down a concrete road. There are a few
ways to best explore Taroko Gorge.
Buses
There
are two options for buses; the guided tour bus or the hop-on/off bus. The guided tour bus office (yellow building) is
located outside the Hualien train station, on the right. This tour bus costs 650 TWD/22 USD, but
unless you understand Chinese I don’t recommend this option.
 |
| Shuttle Bus |
The
best option for the gorge is the hop on/off bus. The bus office (orange building) is also
located outside the Hualien train station, but on the left. A one-day pass costs 250 TWD/8.50 USD or 400
TWD/13.65 USD for a two-day pass. You
can also pay from location to location if you prefer, but you will need exact
change. This bus stops at each of the
trailheads, so you can get on and off as you please. It’s time table is also set up so that you
will not have to wait long after completing a trail before the next bus arrives
to pick you up.
Bicycle
The
traffic on the road through the gorge isn’t that heavy and would allow for safe
cycling. There are a few options for
renting bikes both in Hualien (there is one outside the train station) and the prices
are affordable (about 250 TWD/8.50 USD).
You should always travel with insurance, this should be even more of a
priority if you plan on cycling. My personal recommendation is World
Nomads.
Scooter
Scooters
have the benefits of a bicycle, without all the work and a lot quicker. Scooters also have the added benefit of
allowing you the freedom of driving and stopping when you want. There are many places in Hualien that rent
scooters and it should cost you around 600 TWD/ 20.46 USD per day. You should always travel with insurance, this
should be even more of a priority if you plan on hiring a scooter. My personal
recommendation is World
Nomads.
Car Rental
 |
| Car driving through the tunnel at Swallow Grotto |
Renting
your own car might be the most comfortable and flexible option, but it is also expensive. There are a few rental places in Huelien, so
if you prefer this option or have a few friends to split the cost, you can find
one there.
Taxi
A taxi
gives you the comfort and flexibility of a car without worry about driving it
down the windy roads. Like a car though
a taxi can be expensive. A taxi from the
Hualien train station to Tianxiang (the end of the bus line) will cost you
about 1200 TWD/40.92 USD one way.
Where to Stay
 |
| Heliu Campground |
Both Taroko Gorge
and Hualien have accommodations at various price ranges.
Hualien has a
range of budget hostels to higher end hotels for you to choose from. We stayed at the Mini Voyage Hostel, located
near the bus station, and it was really nice.
If you plan the take the hop on/off bus, you will need to buy your ticket
in Hualien, so it might be advisable to stay here as well.
Tianxiang (at
the end of the bus line in Taroko Gorge) has a number of both budget and higher
end hotels. There are also three tent
camping locations in Taroko Gorge; Heliu Campground, Lushui Campground, and the
Bayang Trailhead Carpark.
Campground
|
Heliu
|
Lushui
|
Bayang
Trailhead Carpark
|
Distance
from Tianxiang
|
2.6
kilometres East (towards Hualien)
|
2
kilometres East
(towards Hualien) |
900
metres West
|
Cost
/ Availability
|
200
NT / platform
|
free
|
free
Only available 3pm-10am |
Facilities
|
toilets
and cold showers
|
Not
available. Toilets a few minutes walk away at Lushui Service Station.
|
Toilets
and cold
showers
|
Tent
space
|
12
wooden platforms
|
grass/
soil
|
Asphalt
carpark
|
Public
Transport
|
bus
|
bus
|
1
kilometre walk from Tianxiang
|
Tips for Your Taroko Gorge Trip
 |
| Lushui Traii |
●
Take plenty of water and snacks. There
are not a lot options along the road for you to buy anything.
● Were
comfortable hiking clothes and shoes. You
will see people wearing dresses, heeled shoes, and all sorts of other apparel,
but I recommend wearing something that makes your hikes more enjoyable. I feel like I should also recommend wearing
good hiking shoes since everyone else does (if you know me, then you know that
I do all my hiking in flip flops or barefoot when it gets to technical).
● Choose
you transportation wisely. The park is
large, so don’t walk, cycle, or hitchhike the gorge if you do not have a lot of
time or, in the case of the first two, you are not in good shape.
●Enjoy your
time. Taroko Gorge is a wonderful place
to disconnect and enjoy the nature around you.
I hope
this post will help you prepare for your trip to Taroko Gorge. If you do decide
to go, please leave me a comment below and let me know all about it.
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