Zhuilu Old Road, Xiulin

Wonderful short trail 6km around trip, with magnificent view on the cliff, steep uphill and down for 2km each way. Make sure to go on a clear day to enjoy the scenic hike and for safety concerns. If you drive, get there early to parkon the limited space along the roadside.

Beware: MANY MANY STAIRS. Otherwise very beautiful, the path is 6.2km there and back, with about 3/4 of the hike either going up or coming down stairs. The turnaround stretch is the part with the steep cliffs, which does not have safety rails, so this is not a hike for people with vertigo.

Fantastic trail with insanely beautiful views of the steep cliffside and the hualien mountains. However make no mistake, this is a challenging trail even though it is only 2 to 2.5 hrs one-way. The ascent requires good physical condition to complete. There are endless stairs in the first km which by themselves are enough to exhaust you. The terrain becomes rougher in the second km and there are several sections where you must hold onto a rope for support to traverse the rocky terrain. Finally the last km is along the steep cliffside which offers majestic views of the mountain scenery above the clouds. However there are few railings along the trail so it is not recommended if you have a fear of heights. Finally, the descent is no easy feat either. Your knees will take a good beating and you will need to have good balance and flexibility to navigate the rocky terrain downwards. You should bring enough water as the temperature is hot and the trail is sure to make you sweat buckets. You definitely do not want to be dehydrated halfway when you're walking the steep cliffsides. Please judge your own physical condition carefully before attempting this trail! Finally, permits are required and you must apply on the website beforehand. A maximum of 96 people are allowed on the trail for each day. On the day, you must bring your passport for verification, and show the email they sent to confirm the permit. You must start the trail between 7 to 10 am, and also PLEASE search in advance for any road closures in the taroko gorge highway 8. We were supposed to drive to hualien from cingjing the day before our hike to our accommodation in hualien but there was a road closure at 114km mark on highway 8 (guanyuan) to repair the road after rock falls / landslides. So... We had to take a 6hr detour to yilan and drive south from yilan to hualien. Fortunately, there were no road closures to drive in from hualien to the entrance of the zhuilu old trail. The road closures only started in March, and it changes all the time, even the locals are not sure. So, please double check and plan your travel in advance!!!

You have to get a permit in advance on the taiwanese site (about a month in advance). Once you are in Taroko, you have to get in before 10am to the trail entrance. The trail itself is about 3hrs total if you are in good shape -pretty steep climb with a lot of stairs. The trail at the top is narrow and can be scary for people scared of heights. The trail itself is very nice, mostly shaded, and once you get up you can see the gorge in its full glory.

Update: 2/2023 We had very different experience this time because of weather. It’s spring time and sunny. The visibility is amazing. It’s equally nice just a lot more scary because you can see all the way down. 11/2020 Most magnificent trails I ever been. Period!!!! The 3.5K uphill is pretty easy and beautiful along the hike. From 2.6K to 3.1k is the best part of the trails. You will be high up on the limestone cliff. Over looking the whole canal. It’s absolutely breath taking.