This easy, surfaced path near Shiding which follows a stream for it's entire length is suitable for all ages and easily accessible by public transportation or private car. There are some very pretty stretches of water and surrounding foliage and many fish are visible from the path. There are a few nice spots to laze with your feet in the water and cool off on a warm day. It is one of four extant sections of the Danlan Trail which used to lead from Tamsui to Yilan in the 1860's.
Distance/Time: 2 hours 35 minutes/ 6.5 km. More information as well as a map can be found here
What to bring: Really not much is needed. It's a short walk and there are convenience stores at the Shuangxikou stop and one in Shiding. I took some snacks and water. Boots are not really necessary and in fact I finished the hike in sandals after I soaked in the stream. Sun protection is important since some parts are in full sun.
The Trail: This is an easy trail suitable for just about anyone. The highest point reached is only 167 meters. I walked 6.5 km but it could be made much shorter. Walking just the Shuangxikou to Shiding section would make it very short but still pretty or its possible to get a bus in Wutuku at the end instead of backtracking to Shiding as I did.
It is one of four extant sections of a trail that used to lead from Tamsui to Yilan in the 1860s. Today it's a pleasant stroll along a surfaced path for day trippers, but in those days it was a much more arduous endeavor. Another of the four remaining sections is the Jinzibei Historical Trail 金字碑古道 which I wrote about in May of 2022. I will include a link at the end of this post.
The entire trail is surfaced in gravel or stone or on board walks.
The trail follows the Beng Shan Stream from Shuangxikou to Shiding and then follows a tributary, Wu Tu Stream, from Shiding to Wutuku. It passes through the quaint, small town of Shiding and ends at another, small community, Wutuku. There are nice stretches of pretty river scenery. Most places were not too deep when I was there but there were some pools deep enough for sitting in the water and cooling off on a hot day. I stopped to soak in the water twice on the way back and saw other hikers cooling their feet in the water. There were lots of fish easily visible from the path, clusters of smaller fish and quite a few big fish either swimming slowly or flashing in the sunlight. There were dragon flies and butterflies hovering and flying near the stream and at one point I disturbed a huge group of butterflies feeding on minerals in the soil that rose up in a cloud and fluttered all around me.
Even though a lofty elevated freeway passes over the trail near the beginning, I couldn't hear any noise from it and I did not feel it detracted from the trail.
Transportation:
I took the MRT to Jingmei Station exit 2, crossed the street and walked
straight down Jingzhong street to the bus stop in front of Jingxing
Park.
I took bus 666 at 7:48 to Shuangxikou. There are three different 666 routes
but they all stop at Shuangxikou. You can check the bus times on the
BusTrackerTaiwan app. The ride to Shuangxikou took about 45 minutes. Usually the bus announces upcoming stops but this one did not. So I kept an eye on my map and the bus app. As we got closer I told the driver where I wanted to get off and he gave me a thumbs up and later told me when we were there.
On
the way back I took the same bus from the Shiding stop. You can also catch a bus back from Wutuku, where the trail terminates, but not all buses go all the all the way to Wutuku.
The hike:
In June I had come to Shiding to hike Bijiashan (see the link at the end of this post) and noted the (much easier) Danlan Trail was nearby. I decided I would come back and check it out soon. I then went two months without hiking. I took a family trip to the United States for three weeks and when I got back it seemed I was either working every weekend or there was torrential rain. However, I finally found time to go hiking again and this easy stroll seemed like a good way to ease back into hiking especially on a hot day.
I got off the bus at Shuangxikou right next to the parking lot for the trailhead.
However, when hiking in Taiwan (and hiking in general) it's a good practice to expect the unexpected. The parking lot is on the left bank of the stream and there is a suspension bridge that leads to the trail on the other side. But as I got close to the bridge I saw yellow tape and a barrier totally cutting off access to the damaged bridge. Total disappointment.
The stream here was swift and in a rocky gorge. It didn't look safe to cross and even if I could the opposite bank was a steep, impenetrable thicket. I was formulating a plan B when an older, hiker joined me. We both stood looking at the bridge and started chatting.
It turned out that he was from the same town where I live in New Taipei City and knew the owner of the company I work for. He and his wife offered to drive me up the road to a place where I could get on the trail. I could have walked there but we had a personal connection and it was nice of them to offer a ride, so I accepted.
The place they took me too, near Waian Bridge, would have been about a ten minute walk or maybe a bit more through a short tunnel and along the road. At the bridge we turned right off the main road and then left on a smaller road. There is another small parking lot there. The trail runs on the right bank of the stream directly under the freeway at that point.
I finally started walking at about 9:00 a.m.
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| After Waian Bridge the trail is directly under the freeway for a short time. |
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| Trailhead for Bijiashan hike |
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| The trail is between the temple and the school |
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| Wutu Stream |
When the lower path terminated I went up stone steps and continued above the stream. The higher route was more shaded. When the path forked I took the lower route but the two routes soon rejoined.
The path veered away from the stream for a while. At junctions I just kept going straight. About 20 minutes after Shiding Elementary School the path seemed at first to end at a bridge but it passed under the bridge and again very close to the stream.
I went on for about 20 more minutes passing a cafe and another bridge until the trail ended near Wutuku.
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| The end of the trail near Wutuku |
Wutuku is the starting point for the Yueshanhu Shan trail which passes under a distinctive half-tunnel like cliff and has a nice flat summit on top. I'd like to hike it again soon but on this day I turned around and walked back to Shiding.
I came to a somewhat secluded spot where lush grass grew near the stream's edge and overhanging trees cast deep shade on the opposite bank. I exchanged my boots for sandals and waded and then sat in the stream and soaked and washed off a little. A little further on there was a place where the stone path was right at the edge of the water. It was perfect for sitting on the stone and dangling my feet in the water and I also slid off to soak in the stream again.
When I got to Shiding the bus was just coming down the street so I got on right away and headed back to Taipei for lunch.
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Map and GPS coordinates:
Trailhead Parking lot at Shuangxikou: 25.005371, 121.651551
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