Along the Taoyuan Valley trail there are sweeping 360 degree views: forested hills and mountain ridges to the north west and the Pacific Ocean and Turtle Island to the south east. It rambles up and over lofty, exposed headlands and through grassland where you can see the water buffalo that have shaped the landscape with their grazing. Later this hike joins the Caoling Historic Trail, part of the ancient route between Tamsui and Yilan, which couldn't be more different. It descends into a valley and follows a shady trail next to a stream. The last section follows country roads to Fulong Train Station. Almost the entire route is surfaced and there are clear map boards and signposts. It is a long hike but there are options for breaking it up into shorter sections.
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| On the Caoling Historic Trail |
Distance/duration: 19.7 km/ 6 hours 34 minutes. It should have been a little shorter but I spaced out near the end and missed a short cut. I did not take any breaks except for a quick stop for lunch. Expect it to take around 7 hours.
More details as well as a map and GPX file can be found here on ramblr.
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Trail Overview:
It seems like in the last couple of years my hikes have settled around a theme. Last year I explored the hikes around Xizhi, going there six times. This year the theme seems to be old favorites that I have not hiked for a while. In March I did Mt. Tianshang, Sun Moon Cave and a Ridge Walk. In April I walked the The Walami Trail 瓦拉米步道, a hike that I first did 18 years ago. This post is about another old favorite which is an amazing hike and a northern Taiwan classic.
The Touyuan Valley Trail mostly follows a ridge that passes through a grassland high above the ocean between Daxi and Dali. The grassland was formed by the grazing of water buffalo which deters the growth of other plants. The buffalo were first introduced during the Japanese colonial period, the ones you see today being the semi-wild ancestors of the original ones.
The Caoling Historcial Trail dates from the Qing Dynasty. The section that hikers walk today is part of the old route that was used to connect Tamsui to Yilan before a modern road was built.
The route I walked starts at Daxi Train station in Yilan. A trail near the train station takes about two hours to climb to the top of the ridge. Expect
to spend 2 hours to reach the ridge, 2-3 hours to walk the ridge to the
intersection with the Caoling Historic Trail and another 2 hours to
walk the Caoling Historic Trail to Fulong.
The climb is gradual but not that easy. There are lots and lots of steps but also some downhill sections and level parts. There are benches, shelters, tables with seats... seemingly every few meters but don't be too tempted to rest because there is a long way to go.
The trail goes through the first of many cow stiles and then reaches the ridge near an Earth god shrine. Once the ridge is reached there are expansive views. Because the route crosses a narrow peninsula, the Sandiao Cape, the ocean is at times visible on both sides.
Not long after reaching the ridge there is a huge grassland. This is where you will encounter the most people because there is a parking lot nearby. Many people just walk from their cars, snap some pictures and then go back to their cars. Outside of this area I only saw a few other people.
You are certain to see buffalo grazing next to the path. It should go without saying that you should keep a respectful distance from them. Mostly they just ignore you but its not a good idea to pose for a selfie next to them.
The Taoyuan Valley Trail meets the Caoling Historic Trail at a placed called Yakou where huge wooden viewing platforms are a distinctive landmark. The route I took then turns left and starts downhill next to a stream toward Fulong. At the end there is at least an hour of road walking but it is on pleasant, quiet country roads and there are signs pointing the way to Fulong Station.
Near the end you can cut off a kilometer and avoid walking on the busy road by turning right after Yuanwangkeng Park and following signs to Fulong Station. But I was not paying attention and missed it. By the time I realized it, I was about 1.5 km past it and didn't want to backtrack. I walked to Fulong along the main road which wasn't really that bad since there is a wide shoulder.
It's best to do this hike on a nice day that is not too hot but when the weather is still clear and the ocean blue in the sunlight. A lot of it is exposed and on a very windy day or a very hot day it wouldn't be as enjoyable. I went on a sunny day in early May and it was still hot.
Route
landmarks: Dali Station -- Mt. Fanshiliao -- Earth god shrine --
Taoyuan Valley grassland -- Mt. Aokengtou -- Yakou -- Tiger Inscription
-- The Boldly Quell the Violent Mists Inscription Rock -- Yuanwankkeng Park -- Fulong
Station
Options to make the hike shorter:
This is a long hike. If you don't want to do the entire route you could do each of the trails separately. To walk just the Taoyuan Valley Trail you can start at Daxi Station and walk to Dali Station (Turn left and downhill) at Yakou. To walk just the Caoling Historic Trail you can take a trail to Dali and then walk to Fulong. Of course you could do it in reverse but its more convenient to go to Fulong because more trains stop there.
What to bring: Take lots of water. I took three liters on a hot day in early May and that was more than enough. I took snacks, lunch, rain gear. Sun protection is important.
As I was waiting for the train at Taipei Main Station I overheard a woman who appeared to be in her sixties telling an older man that she was going to the Caoling Gudao. I'm not usually the sort of person who interrupts strangers' conversations --in fact I'm sort of a hermit who usually keeps to himself-- but maybe because I was over-caffeinated, I chimed in and told her I was going there, too. There isn't really anywhere to buy anything in Daxi. There might be a couple of small shops but I would not depend on them. There are plenty of stores and shops in Fulong at the end.
Transportation: I took a train from Taipei Main Station to Daxi which took an hour and 44 minutes. Only local trains stop at Daxi.
On the way back I caught a fast local train at Fulong Station which took a little over an hour.
On the train I was reading Scarcity Brain by Michael Easter.
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The Walk
She turned out to be very friendly. We talked a little before getting on the train and later she came and sat next to me a few stops before she got off. She was a very good conversationalist and started by asking me innocuous questions like what I was drinking (It was chilled berry tea) and where I bought it (which was Poya) to break the ice before moving on to more personal questions.
She was meeting a hiking group at Fulong and they were hiking the Caoling Trail in the direction of Dali. When she got off I told her I would see her on the trail since we were hiking in opposite directions. Unfortunately, we didn't meet later. Since the section I was walking was longer, I assume that she had already finished and gone down to Dali by the time I got to Yakou.
On the train I had also overheard some other passengers saying they were going to the Caoling Historical Trail. There were lots of people on the train who were obviously dressed for hiking and it was a nice day, so I was expecting to see lots of people on this popular trail. To my surprise, in the end other hikers on the trail were few and far between.
At Daxi four other passengers got off. A young couple and two hikers. Right outside Daxi station I could already see the ocean and Turtle Island. It was a radiant day and the ocean was bright blue.
The steps went up a shaded path. I had to pay attention to my footing on the steps. Most were dry but occasionally there was a slippery one, especially in shady areas. It was easier and faster to walk in the dirt next to the steps whenever possible and I could tell from the tracks that other people had done the same.
It looked like a very "snaky" area so I kept my eyes open. There were lots of skinks that would suddenly dash off the path or under the steps in a flash of rainbow scales and a couple of times they startled me.
There weren't many good views but I enjoyed the shade while I could. Once I reached the top the route would be completely exposed all the way to Yakou.
It was two hours of climbing to the top. On the way I passed Fanshiliao Shan (456 m). Not long before reaching the ridge there is a toilet. Just after passing the toilet I passed an old man coming down who was the only other person I saw on this section.
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| There are occasional map boards next to the trail. |
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| Fanshiliao Shan |
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| side trail to a toilet |
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| cow stile |
At the top there was a large Earth god shrine that sat just of the path.
I turned right along the ridge and the view opened up in all of its glory. A group of large raptors glided just above the ridge, sometimes at my level and sometimes swooping down into the forested valley.
There was a good view of the ocean and turtle island. I passed a wooden shelter house on a promontory. The next stop was the Taoyuan Valley grassland. There were quite a few people here including families with young children who had parked nearby. This spot is one of the most picturesque vistas of the hike.
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buffalo wallow
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I was getting really hungry but there were no good places to stop for lunch. Finally I stopped at some benches near a turn off for a look out point. I still had to sit in full sun but I was very hungry at this point so I stopped and ate a sandwich and drank some water and ate some chips while looking at the panorama from the overlook.
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| calories in |
As I was finishing lunch I noticed it was getting dark and cloudy in the direction of Fulong. I thought it might rain but actually was glad the cloud cover was providing some relief from the relentless sun.
I continued. I saw a few other hikers. A couple going the opposite direction. Two women from south east Asia also going in the opposite direction.Two old men-- whom I passed. The first man kept stopping to sit on the steps and massage his legs. He smiled and nodded as I passed. I talked to the second man for a few minutes but since my pace was faster I said good bye and went on. There was some steep sections and lots and lots more great vistas. The clouds moved overhead and it got pleasantly cooler. It rained a little and I put the rain cover on my backpack but it was just a cloud passing over and it soon stopped. Actually, I was already so wet with sweat that I welcomed the rain.
I head, but did not see, barking deer in the steep tree covered slopes between the path and the ocean.
Eventually the path started heading down toward Yakou and I could see the road leading to Dali.
On the way down I encountered a group of buffalo grazing right on the path.
I waited a bit but when one of them still didn't move I just walked around the side, giving it a wide berth and it barely seemed to notice me.
I came to the viewing platforms at Yakou.
Below the viewing platforms there was another map board. The Caoling Historic Trail descended in a narrow gap between two hills on the left.
The path became narrower and followed a gurgling stream. I was in shade again. I passed the Tiger Inscription rock and the Boldly Quell the Violent Mists rock.
The stream became wider and was very pretty with some nice pools. I stopped and splashed water on my face and over my head. I met a woman who asked me how far it was to Yakou. She asked me in Chinese and I could tell by her face she was nervous I might not understand but then looked relieved when I answered. My Chinese is still embarrassingly bad after years in Taiwan but good enough for simple conversation, directions etc...
The road walk was on a narrow road and then later passed some farms
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| arriving in Fulong |
Fulong was packed with people as usual. I had a snack and a beer at a convenience store and caught a train back to Taipei.
Nearby hikes:
Shicheng石城 to Longlong Mountain 隆隆山 Ridge Walk and Longlong Mountain Ancient Houses
Fumao Old Trail, Longlong Mountain and Revisiting the Longlong Mountain Ancient Stone Houses
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Map and GPS coordinates:
More details as well as a map and GPX file can be found on ramblr:
Daxi Station: 24.938363, 121.889807
Taoyuan Valley Trail trailhead (near Daxi): 24.942251, 121.895853
Yakou: 24.979617, 121.925859
Fulong Station: 25.015941, 121.94463
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