Enjoy Waterfalls and Scenic Views: 15 Mountain Forest Trails Across Taiwan

Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team, compiled and reported

The Neidong Forest Recreation Area in Wulai, New Taipei City, retains its ecological environment exceptionally well. Among its highlights is the three-tiered Xinxian Waterfall, where you can experience the grandeur of natural beauty.

● Doumai Pond, Daxi, Taoyuan

Doumai Pond presents a fairy-tale-like mountain-lake landscape. Strolling along the lakeside trail, surrounded by mountains and water with a gentle breeze, while admiring the beautiful scenery, is truly refreshing.

● Yunwu Trail, Wufeng, Hsinchu

The Yunwu Trail is approximately 848 meters long, featuring three scenic viewpoints along the way. It’s an ideal spot to appreciate the grand peaks of the Snow Mountain to Dabajianshan Sacred Ridge and the Snow Mountain West Ridge to Dashueshan mountain ranges.

● Gongweixu Tunnel, Lilishan, Miaoli

The Gongweixu Tunnel in Miaoli is Taiwan’s only railway wall-style tunnel. Completed in 1903, its exterior remains remarkably well-preserved. Nearby lies a natural urban forest park, which is also a popular weekend hiking destination for locals.

● Ginkgo Forest, Lugu, Nantou

The Ginkgo Forest is located in Lugu Township, near attractions such as Xitou Monster Village, Shanlinxi, and Xitou Forest Recreation Area. With a cool climate and year-round misty surroundings, it offers magnificent mountain and forest views.

● Qilin Mountain Forest Trail, Zhanghua

The Qilin Mountain Forest Trail features multiple viewpoints, rest pavilions, and fitness facilities along the way. It’s a healthy forest trail that combines sightseeing, relaxation, and exercise.

● Muma Ancient Trail, Gukeng, Yunlin

The Muma Ancient Trail, situated in Gukeng Township, Yunlin County—the highest-altitude mountain village in the county—features distinctive sights such as charcoal kiln ruins, viewpoints, golden bamboo forests, and camphor tree woods.

● Penglai Waterfall, Caoling, Caotun, Yunlin

As one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Caoling, Penglai Waterfall boasts abundant water flow in summer, with widths reaching 5–6 meters and an impressive momentum. In the evening, when the setting sun shines on the waterfall, the refracted light creates a stunning rainbow hanging above the cliff.