Dream Lake 夢湖 and Mt. Xin 新山

This walk in the Xizhi District of New Taipei City starts with a walk along a country road that leads to a peaceful, green lake surrounded by steep wooded hills. Then a loop trail climbs to a peak by way of a ridge with lots of rocky scrambles. Hikers can see Taipei City on one side, and on the other: look back along the ridge toward the ocean and Keelung Mountain. Go in clear weather and its a real pleasure to be perched atop rocky Mount Xin, above an expanse of green hills fading into the distance. Its an exciting, fun hike and you can still finish by lunchtime for a packed lunch by the lake before walking back to the bus stop. 

Distance/duration: 4 hrs 46 min/ 8.9 km. 

More details as well as a map can be found here on my ramblr account. 

Trail Overview:  We took public transportation which means that our walk started in the village of Hongnei. It's a 3 km walk from the village to the lake along a mostly shaded country road with very little traffic. It took us about an hour. There was a stream next to the road with pretty pools and fish. We took a shortcut to eliminate a turn in the road but the trail was a little rough and honestly it's probably just as fast to walk all the way on the road. 

Meng Hu or Dream Lake is a calm, medium-sized body of water surrounded by steep green hills. It's a very fine spot and many people come here just to visit the lake. There is a trail all the way around and there are tables and seats and a shelter house. In the past, it was a popular place to have wedding photos taken but I am not sure if that is still the case. There used to be a cafe but it is now closed. We saw some hikers using the tables of the erstwhile cafe.  

There is a circular trail that goes to the peak and back to the lake. There are two ways to the peak but the easier and shorter way cuts out some of the most fun and beautiful parts of the hike. We took the longer and slightly harder "East Crest" route which follows a rocky ridge with lots of great views and then joins up with the shorter path for the final push to Xinshan (499 m). 

The East Crest trail starts at the lower end of a rocky ridge and climbs all the way to Xinshan with the view getting progressively better. Taipei can be seen on one side and on the other: the ocean, Keelung Island and the distinctive pyramid shape of Keelung Mountain. The path is exciting and close to an edge but safe in good weather. On the day we visited the stone was dry with very good traction. There are lots of fixed ropes and some steep parts but it is not too challenging for experienced hikers. 

It was a very hot day but except when we were in full sun at the peak, there was a nice cooling breeze. There were lots of huge butterflies, fish in the stream and the lake, lizards and the usual forest bird life-- in addition to raptors in the distance gliding on updrafts.  

Xhizhi is a great place for hiking. This is the third of a series of posts exploring hikes around Xizhi. The other two are: 

Xizhi Gongbeidian 汐止拱北殿, and Beigang Hill 北港山 

Neigoushan 內溝山 , Cuei Lake 翠湖, and Laojiujian 老鷲尖  

What to bring:  I took snacks and lunch. I took two liters of water but by the time I finished I wished that I had brought more. Sun protection is important. I took a hiking pole but after we started climbing it was just in the way and spent most of the hike strapped to my pack. 

Get anything you need before leaving Xizhi. There are no stores in Hongnei.  There is a very small shop with a few drinks near the parking area for the lake but I don't know when it is open.

Transportation:  I took a train from Taipei Main Station to Xizhi and met a friend there. 

At Xizhi station, I exited through the main hall at the Xinyi Road exit. I met my friend at the row of bus stops across the street from the station. We took bus 587 at 8:00 am to the Hongnei bus stop. Be sure not to get off at the Hongnei Police Station stop. It is much further way. 

I took the same bus to Gongbeidian in May 2025 and it was not nearly so crowded but on this occasion lots of people were lining up or putting their backpacks in line while waiting in the shade. I recommend lining up sooner than we did. We were last in line and there was some doubt as to if we would get on the bus or not. I told my friend, "No problem." Which turned out to be the case but it was a tight fit. 

With so many people it was hot on the bus even with air conditioning and my shirt was soaked by the time that we got off. Despite all that, it was a fun experience. I was laughing at the absurdity of the situation and everyone was friendly and in good spirits. Most people were going hiking. After Gongbeidian, where lots of people got off, we had more room. 

Getting out of the way of alighting passengers at Gongbeidian before getting back on the bus.

For the most up to date information you can check the BusTracker Taiwan app but at the time of this writing the bus comes at 7:30, 8:00 and 10:30 on the weekends. There are later buses and it comes more frequently during the week. 

On the way back there were only 3 passengers (including us) on the 587 when we got on. Later it it did pick up more people but was not crowded. 

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The Hike

Just before stopping at the Hongnei stop the bus makes a right turn. A lot of other hikers also got off at this stop but we left before them and did not see them behind us later.

Hongnei was a cluster of shuttered residences. Looking back the way the bus came from, we were facing a T-intersection. The way to Dream Lake is right (north) and slightly uphill. We started hiking at about 8:40.

In just over 500 meters we came to a clearly marked intersection. Following the sign that said "Xin Mt Meng Lake Trail 2.8 km", we bore right onto Menghu Road. 
 

There was a stream on the left side of the road and later on the right. We passed a remarkable latticework of roots growing down the side of a retaining wall with water dripping down it. We passed an area where there was road construction but mostly it was quiet and peaceful. There were signs in Chinese pointing the way. Sometimes the road became very narrow but then widened again. 

We walked on Menghu Road for about 30 minutes and came to a T-intersection. Again a sign clearly pointed the way which was left. 
 

Just 400 meters further we came to the shortcut trail. It is opposite a big, brown sign for the lake. We turned left off the road and took the shortcut.

 

If I do this walk again I will probably just stay on the road and forget about the short cut. I had taken this trail before and remember that it was very clear but now it looks like not many people use it. It seemed we were the first two hikers through for the day because I had to knock down several large spider webs (with large spiders) spun across the path. (Sorry, spiders!). 

We reached the lake after 20 minutes. We had a look around and had a snack in the shelter house. 

 

We walked around the east (right) side of the lake and took the trail to Xinshan, going up steps made of wood and packed earth. 

After a short distance (240 meters), we came to a fork. We took the right fork leading to the "East Crest." The path straight ahead is shorter and easier but less interesting. 

 

Right fork to the East Crest of Mt. Xin

 

There was another fork and we turned left and shortly came to a lookout point --next to a big electricity pylon. 

The beginning of the East Crest route is just before you arrive at the look out point. It's a narrow, rocky opening with fixed ropes that climbs up onto the ridge. 

This whole section was so much fun. The trail followed the rocky ridge, sometimes dropping down into scrubby forest before popping out to another rocky section with better and better views all along the way. There were lots of rocky points that we didn't really need to climb, but like little kids, we couldn't resist. The trail kept to the left side of the ridge with a drop on the right. There were a few steep parts with fixed ropes. 

 

We came to a high point where we could see the cone of Xinshan ahead and could see a few hikers already there. Then we dropped down and joined the easier path coming from the lake. 

 We turned right and then very soon, at another junction, turned left following a path with stones and roots underfoot and a big rock wall on the right. Then we started the final push up to the summit. It was steep and short. 

I arrived a few minutes ahead of my friend. There was a group of people there but they took their final photos and headed down. My friend joined me and we had the summit to ourselves for a while.

 It was really hot at the summit but we stayed for a quite a while --which is a testament to how much we were enjoying it. Finally, the euphoria wore off and I we realized we should get out of the sun. My friend went down to wait in the shade while I helped another group take pictures.

 The path back to the lake is on the other side of the summit. It took us 30 minutes to descend to the lake. The trail is easy but there are some steep parts. Just past the summit there is a trail continuing along the ridge, but we went left and downhill. Later, there is another junction but it is clearly marked. 

On the way down, there is a viewpoint with an incredible vista of Dream Lake and the surrounding landscape. 

It was lunchtime when we got back to the lake and there were lots of people eating, taking photos or strolling around. We went back to the shelter house and had lunch. 

It had not been a particularly hard hike but I was feeling tired because of the heat. I was tempted to just stay for a while and maybe take a nap but I checked the bus times and decided we had better start walking back to Hongnei. 

On the way back, instead of the shortcut, we took the trail to the parking area and walked on the road. Just before we got to the road there were some vendors and an area with tables and benches. 
 

We passed a little shop with drinks in a cooler. The proprietor was drilling holes in a piece of bamboo. My friend asked him if he had mineral water. He seemed to be reluctant to stop what he was doing and then spoke to my friend in an annoyed--almost angry voice. I was almost out of water and craving a cool drink myself but his attitude made me not want to buy anything from him. I figured I would just pick up something in Hongnei. There turned out not to be any shops in Hongnei so I guess I should have just put up with his rudeness. But I survived. 

We walked back to the 587 bus stop where we just had to wait a little while. When the bus came there was only one other passenger on board. The air conditioning was sweet and later when we got to Xizhi station the first thing I did was buy a carton of cold, lemon tea.   

Nearby hikes:

 

Neigoushan 內溝山 , Cuei Lake 翠湖, and Laojiujian 老鷲尖  

 

Xizhi Gongbeidian 汐止拱北殿, and Beigang Hill 北港山 

  

Yuemei Cave Trail 月眉洞步道 and Xian Dong Hu Shan 仙洞湖山 Loop Hike

 

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Map and GPS coordinates:

Hongnei: 25.104564, 121.644172

Dream Lake: 25.127912, 121.636013

Xinshan: 25.129936, 121.63332 

http://rblr.co/oxnCr 

 

 

 

Neigoushan 內溝山 , Cuei Lake 翠湖, and Laojiujian 老鷲尖

A very enjoyable hike in the Xizhi district of New Taipei City, this popular trail has a lot going for it: Jinlong Lake, Cuei Lake, exposed rocky ridges, good views throughout, a couple of thrilling summits and four peaks. But for all of that it is a relatively mellow walk on a pretty, and generally well-maintained trail. Highly recommended despite some challenges getting to the trailhead with public transportation.  

Distance/duration: 6 hrs 7 min/ 9.9 km. 

More details as well as a map can be found here on my ramblr account. 

This could have been a lot shorter. My is guess it could be done in about 4 hours. We really took our time. Furthermore, I don't recommend anyone follow the first part of our track. To get from the Jinlong Lake bus stop to the trailhead, we ended up trespassing through a private gated community. I will explain and give options for getting to the trailhead in the transportation section below. 

Trail Overview:  The beginning part of the route we walked is on a feeder trail and not the main trail that most hikers take to Neigoushan. It is a nice, clear trail and I recommend it for those comfortable with somewhat rougher trails that get less traffic. It was very muddy when we walked it because it had rained for the previous three days. Once we joined the main trail to Neigoushan it was wider. We walked a more-or-less U-shaped route that followed a ridge and ended at Jinlong Lake.

Cuei Lake is a small, peaceful pond in a deep valley. There is some open water but most of it is filled with aquatic plants. There is a good trail all the way around the lake and there are benches and tables and flowers. It's a peaceful, secluded-feeling spot. The lake was formed during the Japanese colonial period when mining waste was dumped in the valley blocking the stream and creating the lake. It provides habitat for fish, frogs, birds and other wildlife. 

There is an old mine site, the Beigang Erkeng Mine Site, downstream of Cuei Lake. Mining at the site began in 1901. 

None of the peaks on the route are high but there are excellent views of the surrounding hills, Taipei City and nearby communities. There were some sunny areas but most of the time there was plentiful shade and a cooling, breeze even on a hot day. The trail surface was dirt, natural stone or wood steps. Some of the wooden steps had seen better days and it was better to walk on the packed earth next to them.  Throughout the hike we saw lots of butterflies and saw and heard lots of bird life. 

Neigoushan (137 m) is a rocky point reached by an exciting but not difficult climb up aluminum ladders.  Laojiujian (193m) has a great view. It's a good place for spotting birds of prey floating on updrafts and is also called Laoyingjian or Eagle Peak. Other peaks include Laojiujian South Peak (157 m) and Xuetouposhan (120 m). 

Jinlong Lake, at the end of the hike, is a large urban lake with a walking path around it's perimeter. 

What to bring:  I packed water and food. Sun protection is important on the exposed sections. 

Transportation:  I took a train from Taipei Main Station to Xizhi and met two friends there.  

At Xizhi station, I exited through the main hall at the Xinyi Road exit. You can take bus 817 to Jinlong lake from the bus stop across the street. 

I did not prepare very well for this hike. I had read that you could take the bus to Jinlong Lake and then walk to the trail head and I was pretty confident I could just look at the map and cut across the streets to the trail. As one of my old friends said before a hike in Arizona a long time ago, "It's no fun, if you plan too much." (Though I would also add that sometimes it can be a disaster if you don't plan enough.)

As an aside, on the Arizona hike we set off on a multi-day hike through a canyon with no idea how we would get home at the other end. On the way, we met two guys going the opposite way who had left a car at either end of the trail. One of the guys gave us the keys to his Saab and we drove his car to the other end (where our car was parked) and dropped it off for him.  

The problem in this case was that in the area I planned to cut across, there was a private gated, community. We did walk through it but I definitely don't recommend going that way. We attracted the attention of security guards and it took longer than expected. I'd like to go back again and do this walk correctly and also hike Shuiwantanshan which we did not go to on this trip. 

I think there are a few options for getting to the trailhead. The easiest might be to just get a taxi or Uber from Xizhi to the main Neigoushan trailhead (not the feeder trail that we started on). Here is the Google Maps link. 

The best option by bus is probably to take the 817 to Jinlong Lake and walk around the east side of the lake toward the trail where we finished our hike. There instead of turning on the trail keep going north joining Lane 5, Hudong Street. Follow it for about 1 km next to the stream until you reach a trail just south of Cuei Lake and start the hike at the old mine site and Cuei Lake. That stream flows from Cuei Lake to Jinlong Lake.   

Another option would be to take a bus to the Zhongshan Street Entrance bus stop which is near the trail we took. You could also walk along a footpath next to a stream for a little over 1 km to the main Neigoushan trailhead. 

Bus 53 goes there from Donghu MRT Station. 

Bus 630 and 646 and 903 go there from Huzhou MRT Station. 

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The Hike

 We got to Jinlong Lake and started walking a little after 8 am. 

We walked around the western side of the lake and up a hill.  

At the top, we were confused and asked a man if he knew the way to Neigoushan. He said we could get there through the community and asked if we had a key. He said it was lucky we had asked him (Hai hao ni you wen wo) and he opened a side door for us with his key card. It was a very clean, very nice community of private condominiums. 

I felt conspicuous strolling through the community and it wasn't long before we attracted the attention of a security guard. I could see on the map that there was a trail to Neigoushan that started within the complex but when we checked it out we found that someone had cut grass clippings and brush and piled it all up in a huge mound to block the trail. It was clear they did not want people going that way.  As we were checking out the trail, a security guard on a scooter told us we couldn't go that way and asked us where we wanted to go. He didn't really challenge us but his demeanor seemed to communicate that he would rather not have to deal with us. He told us the way to the da men (the main gate) and drove away. 

At the main gate, another security guard, came out of the guard station and asked us more sharply Ni yao qu nali (Where do you want to go?). I guessed that the other guard had radioed him and told him to watch out for us. 

Just outside the main gate of the community we passed the Zhongshan Street Entrance bus stop. I recommend starting here and taking the trail that we walked or alternatively walking along the stream-side path all the way to the main Neigoushan trailhead--which is a little over 1 km away. 

We crossed the stream and turned north walking on the path next to the stream. 

 After 250 meters we turned right and crossed the stream again. 

 At the next corner we turned left into an alley and came to the trailhead which was at the end of a messy path going between a fence and a building. 

At the end of the alley the trail became clear. We started up leaf strewn steps and we were finally on the way!

 The trail meandered and went up and down a bit. It passed close to the community which we could see below through the trees. At the next junction, we turned right. 

 

After just 1.2 km we came to a crossroads. The path on the left came up from the main Neigoushan trailhead, the path straight ahead went to Neigoushan and the path on the right led down to Cuei Lake. We decided to go right and see Cuei Lake first. 

 The path here was slippery and a bit steep and we had to take care. I could see on the map that we would need to make a bridge less stream crossing. As we got closer I could hear the water and was worried it might be high after the heavy rain. But actually it just took a couple of steps to cross. 

We followed the trail to the left, going upstream next to the water. We came to a stone table and benches and a T-intersection where we stopped for a rest and a snack. (If we had first gone right after crossing the stream we could have visited the Beigang Erkeng mine site which is just a little bit downstream but I did not realize it until later. )

 Turning left at the T-intersection we came to the lake after just a couple of minutes. We took the trail going around the right side. The lake is not very big and it did not take long to walk all the way around to the end and the other side where there was a rectangular clearing of packed earth. 

We turned left at the clearing and just at the end of it came to a trail heading uphill (on the other side of a short wooden footbridge). 

This trail took us back up to the top of the ridge in just a few minutes. 

 Now we were on the far side of Neigoushan so we had to backtrack (to the left) first to summit the peak. This was one of the most fun parts of the hike. The peak is reached by way of two aluminum ladders and a rocky path with fixed ropes. 

The peak was smooth, dry stone. There were two benches. We stopped for another rest and some food. 

We went back down the aluminum ladders and along the ridge. The trail from here was wide and easy. We followed signs for Laojiujian (老鷲尖). On the way we passed a nice view point. Looking toward Taipei we could see the Grand Hotel, the Shinkong Mitsukoshi department store building at Taipei Main Station and parts of Yangminshan National Park. 

 We climbed up a long, set of wooden steps--probably the most strenuous part of the whole hike. 

 At the top there was a side trail going up more steps to Laojiujian. 

Laojiujian 

 You can go on to Shuiweitanshan from here but we went back down and continued following the ridge. (Turning left at the bottom of the steps leading to the peak.)

We went over Laojiujian South Peak and then the wide trail led us along a cliff looking over a valley. 

Laojiujian South Peak

 

We came to an amazing view point which was reached by a thrilling climb up another ladder and along a narrow rocky spine. It was possible to take a trail around it instead but we couldn't resist and the view was incredible. 

 

 From here we just had to follow the ridge all the way down to Jinlong Lake but we still had a ways to go and some ups and downs, with views along the way. 

We came to one rocky point where I crawled out onto a smooth stone promontory and lay there feeling the wind and watching it blowing the trees in the forest far below. 

Getting closer to the city we passed along the top of a stone wall and looked down into the streets below and then went through a bamboo grove. 

 

Xuetouposhan is reached near the end of the trail. There is no clearing and I would not have noticed it if it weren't for the summit sign. There is a big electricity pylon next to it. The trail went down wooden steps for the final stretch before finally reaching a road. 

 

 There was a map board and a sign pointing to Jinlong Lake. We turned left and followed the road to Jinlong Lake. 

 We followed Lane 5 Hudong Street to Mingfeng Street and turned left and walked to the 817 Jinlonghu bus stop. 

 

Buses going back to Xizhi stop next to number 19 Mingfeng Street. But we decided to take the bus in the other direction from the stop across the road from a 7-11 which goes to Nangang Exhibition Hall MRT Station because it was coming sooner. 

 

Nearby hikes:

 

Xizhi Gongbeidian 汐止拱北殿, and Beigang Hill 北港山 

  

Yuemei Cave Trail 月眉洞步道 and Xian Dong Hu Shan 仙洞湖山 Loop Hike

 

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Map and GPS coordinates:

Trailhead where we started: 25.080091, 121.624983

Beigang Erkeng Mine Site: 25.087155, 121.630607

Cuei Lake: 25.089177, 121.628973

Neigoushan: 25.08906, 121.627381

Laojiujian Peak: 25.095899, 121.626152

Laojiujian South Peak: 25.094475, 121.627193

Xuetouposhan: 25.077372, 121.636513

Jinlong Lake: 25.074139, 121.632385 

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