No BBQs, no campfires: Taroko National Park designates 5 simple cooking areas

▲ Taroko boasts magnificent mountain landscapes, a favorite among many hikers. (Photo / from Wikipedia)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The Taroko National Park Administration has recently noticed that some visitors treat parking lots within the park as "camping areas," not only setting up tents but also cooking in the parking areas, which affects the parking and safety of other visitors. In addition to issuing an official notice on the 5th strictly prohibiting such behavior, the administration has also designated fixed areas where visitors can engage in simple cooking. They hope the public will cooperate to prevent a recurrence of incidents like the mountain wildfires at Shei-Pa National Park in the past.

Taroko Park includes recreational areas such as Tatachia, Meishan, and Nan’an, which have always been popular destinations for outdoor activities and high-mountain tourism, attracting over 1.5 million visitors annually. However, it has recently been observed that some people camp, cook outdoors, pitch tents, place tables and chairs, or even hold campfire activities in parking lots or other non-camping zones.

To prevent forest fires, the Taroko National Park Administration has officially announced the designation of simple cooking areas at four locations in the Tatachia area — "Provincial Highway 18, Kilometer 109.1, Provincial Highway 18, Kilometer 108.2, Provincial Highway 18, Kilometer 108.1, and Provincial Highway 21, Kilometer 132 (Guanshan)" — as well as one location in the southern part of the park at Provincial Highway 20, Kilometer 129 (Zhongzhi Pass). However, only cooking with utensils (such as instant noodles) or boiling water for tea or coffee is allowed. Barbecuing and open flames are strictly prohibited, with violators facing fines of up to NT$3,000. The administration also hopes that while visitors enjoy the beauty of nature, they will also help protect the mountains and preserve the natural ecology within the national park.

%Jia Hui Xing Zai... Xiao Ba Fu Qie Dian Di Jie Ke... Di Yi Ci Dang Di De Qie... Bu Neng Zai Shao Xin Huo Huo Zuo Qi Ta Xing Wei (Photo / fromParks Taiwan Fan Page)