Baisha Bay, Mystery Lake and the Linshan Cape Trail

A walk that rewards you with great scenery for relatively little effort. This easy route follows a path through a scrubby coastal forest to a small lake and then a trail around the peninsula with views of the ocean. It is located in the Shimen District of New Taipei City, part of the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area.  We did this on a wintry, blustery day when the sea was choppy and long, rolling waves smashed against the rocks and sprayed foam over parts of the path. On a sunny, warm day it would be completely different but equally appealing. We even took a trail out to a tiny spit of land that at high-tide was awash in sea water. On the way back we passed the ruins of a creepy, abandoned glamping resort. 

Distance/duration: 1 hour 50 mins / 5.2 km. 

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

Trail Overview:  

All the trails on this route are surfaced except for one short dirt and sand path that goes out to the very edge of the peninsula. It is a mostly flat walk and not strenuous at all. 

We started at the Baisha Bay Visitor's Center and followed a short loop trail to Mystery Lake 神秘湖,  and back out to the main road. Mystery Lake is a small lake fed by rain water. When it has not rained it may be dry. After the lake trail we walked on the road to Linshan Cape Harbor 麟山鼻漁港 where we joined the Linshan Cape Trail 麟山鼻步道. This was an easy trail but with sea-side scenery in excelsis. The trail follows the peninsula all the way around and back to Baishawan Beach. However, on the way back we took a road through the middle of the peninsula that passes a now abandoned hotel and glamping resort.  

There were only a handful of other walkers out on a windy, gray day and some fisherman on the rocks.  

 What to bring: We just took one bottle of water each and some light snacks. There are convenience stores nearby and a cafe.

Transportation: We took the MRT to Tamsui Station and then took bus 862. The bus takes about 40 minutes. You can also take bus 863 or 867.

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The Walk

My wife and I got off the bus next to a Family Mart. Across the wide road we could see the entrance to Baisha Bay park. We started walking at about 10:30 am. It was a gray day and the trees were blowing in the wind. It was windy enough that I put my hat away because I was afraid it might fly away. 

 

We crossed the street and entered the park. The visitor's center was on the right. We passed a parking lot on the left (there are toilets at the parking lot and in the visitor's center) and at the other side of the parking lot came to a trail.

Trail to Mystery Lake

 

We turned left onto the paved trail and followed it up steps and at the top of the steps followed the straight path a little further till we came to a junction. Inside the forest the wind was not as strong.

We turned right and followed this very short trail to the lake. It only took about ten minutes to get to the lake from the park entrance. Just before getting to the lake we passed a house with an unsightly pile of garbage in front of it. However, the area near the lake was clean. There was a shelter house with benches facing the water. 

 

Mystery Lake

The trail continued along the side of the lake, joined a board walk shaded by trees with hanging aerial roots and then rejoined the main path. 

 It seemed like no time at all until we emerged at a huge parking lot and rejoined the main road running through the park. 

 We turned left and followed the road until we came to an intersection with a small Tudigong (Earth god) temple on the left. Straight ahead we could see a parking lot and a white building covered with graffiti. We turned left and then followed the road downhill until we came to the Linshan Cape Harbor. 

We turned left here.

Linshan Cape Harbor

 The sea was rough and huge waves rolled across the surface and crashed on the shore. Fishing boats bobbed in the water. We turned right, and walked along the side of the harbor. There were a couple of cats around but they were shy and ran away. On the far side of the harbor we crossed a boardwalk right next to the sea and climbed wood and metal steps up a hill. 

 

At the top of the hill we passed the first of two (or three? I forget)  old, pill box style sentry bunkers. 

 

The trail kept next to the edge of the peninsula with views of the ocean. 

 

We came to a view of sea rocks. White waves sloshed all around the rocks. There were two fisherman on the rocks who must have climbed out there when the tide was low. I guessed they would have to wait until it went back down before they could come back. 

A sign explained that the characteristic angular, abraded rocks along the coast were called ventifacts (also know as windkanter.) They are formed by the dual action of waves and wind-driven sand. They are also found in windy, arid regions where they are of course just formed by wind and blowing sand. 

We came to a junction and turned left taking a narrow trail out to the very end of the peninsula. It was paved with concrete tiles at first but then gave way to dirt.
 

 

Another sign said that traditional stone fish traps could be seen here. (If you have been to the Penghu Islands you may have seen the famous heart-shaped one there.) Locals used to build stone enclosures to trap fish. When the tide came up water and fish were carried into the traps and then left behind when the tide receded. We couldn't see them because the tide was nearly at it's zenith.

The trail went out further along an hour-glass-shaped path that in the middle was sometimes covered by incoming waves. My wife stayed behind while I ventured out, stepping on rocks and timing it so I avoided the water. There were more fisherman out at the very end of the land. 

 My return was ill-timed and I got caught in a wave getting one foot and leg wet. My wife laughed and I thought I heard her mutter something that sounded like "so stupid."

We headed back to the intersection and turned left continuing the path around the outside of the peninsula.  

 

 Because I was taking video and pictures my wife was ahead of me and she said something I didn't quite catch in the noise of the wind and waves. The only thing I heard clearly was "covered." Around the corner the largest waves were sometimes completely washing over the walking path.

 

 

I was pretty sure we could make it through safe and dry if we waited till the waves receded and timed it right (though, admittedly, since I already had one wet leg my track record was not so good) but my wife was not having it. She refused to go through. I thought of going through first to show her it could be done but then gave up on the idea. Even if I did, I was pretty sure she was not going to be willing to go forward. 

 

We decided to turn back which in retrospect was a good decision. First, we got to walk through a really interesting abandoned resort and second, I later I found out that further on the part of the path that joins Baishawan beach was covered by larger waves that were hitting the path and sucking debris back in their wake. We most likely would have had to turn back later anyway. 

 

We went back to the junction and instead of walking all the way back the way we had come, we turned left. we passed through a gate and came to a road which cut through the center of the peninsula.  

 

 We passed an abandoned hotel and glamping resort called Peninsula's Secret. I don't know what happened here but the whole place was abandoned. I looked on Google maps and as recent as a few of years ago glowing reviews were posted. There are photos of rooms, well-appointed bathrooms, people dining on lobster... people gathered around pools. It cost from NT$4000 to $8500 per night. Now it was just rooms open to the air with furniture still standing in them, and dingy tents in geodesic shapes. The whole place had a creepy, Overlook Hotel sort of feel. 

 

 

 

I was thrilled to discover it and wanted to explore some more but I could tell my wife was kind of uncomfortable. Whenever I stopped to look around she forged ahead. 

 

At the bottom of the hill just behind a sign that read "Secret Island" there was a trail that led to the top of a small hill. My wife had gone on ahead and the trail looked kind of messy, so I did not go up. 

 

 Next to it was a parking lot and the white building covered in graffiti 

that we had seen from the road on the way up. 

 

 We followed the road back to Baishawan. I went down to check out the beach but the wind was whipping and we did not stay. 

Baishawan Beach 

 We walked back to the park entrance and went into the visitors center for a while. I picked up some maps and asked the volunteers some questions. There is a cafe near the visitor's center but we decided not to eat there. We went back out to the road and stopped at a convenience store for a snack before getting the bus back to Tamsui.  

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Map and GPS coordinates:

Baisha Bay Visitor's Center: 25.283062, 121.51875, Google maps link

Mystery Lake: 25.281, 121.515768, Google maps link

Linshan Harbor:  25.28399, 121.510197, Google maps link 

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