Hiking in Taiwan is a remarkable experience and Taiwan’s Xiao Bai Yue (小百岳) is a great place to start. Taiwan’s Xiao Bai Yue is a perfect list of 100 suburban mountain peaks suitable for hikers of all skill levels.
Daluntou Mountain (or Daluntoushan) (大崙頭山) is listed at #008 of the Xiao Bai Yue (小百岳). Located in Neihu District (內湖區) in Taipei City (台北市), Daluntoushan is located about 1-1.5 hours on public transportation from Taipei Main Station.
The Xiao Bai Yue is 100 mountain climbs oriented towards sub-urban destinations and routes suitable for novice hikers. These include beginner routes like Dawulun Mountain, novice routes like Dongyanshan National Forest and some that are more challenging, like Jialishan.
About Daluntou Mountain (大崙頭山)
Daluntou Mountain and Dalunwei Mountain are located on the main edge of the west extension of the Wuzhi Mountains, extending from northeast to southwest. Dalunwei Mountain is 451 meters above sea level, with huge rocks lined up and towering into peaks. Daluntou Mountain is 475 meters above sea level. It is located close to the Dalun Lake area. The lake is a nice surpise and change of scenery on this route. If you get there on a windless day we would imagine that the lake offers great reflections of the surrounding the mountains.
Hiking Daluntou Mountain (大崙頭山)
Start this trip from Cuishan Trail (翠山步道) heading north east (see picture below). This trail begins as a hard surface trail with some interlocking bricks. Some open spaces and unshaded sections are nice when the wind blows and offer stunning mountain views looking north and northwest. These views are a bit short lived and some stairs lead into a more covered gravel surfaced trail. The trail then transitions into a nice stroll in a forest with a thick underbrush with big ferns and plenty of song birds. While this section doesn’t offer any more significant views, it is a great section of trail for families with kids or anyone looking to get back into nature while hiking in Taiwan.
At about 1.5km into the hike, you’ll begin descending the Changshou Slope (長壽坡) along a staircase. Turn left when reach a “Y” junction and continue along a gravel path for a little bit. The forest gets really nice here as the trail surface becomes a boardwalk and you head out towards Bixi Trail (碧溪步道). Stay left to follow Bixi Trail towards the Plum Blossom Platform (梅花平台). The platform doesn’t offer a view, but it is uniquely shaped as a spade. The trail continues north until you reach the end of the Bixi Trail, where there is a staircase heading up towards Daluntou Mountain.
A little bit up, you’ll cross over a roadway and reach the entrance of the Dalun Touwei Mountain Trail (大崙頭尾山步道入口). We hope you enjoy stairs as this first section of this trail is essentially a wide staircase up.
Once you reach the top of the stairs the trail becomes an elevated boardwalk again. This section is great for slowing down and enjoy the natural settings. There are some more steps as you approach Taipei Creek Eagle Head Platform (台北小溪頭-老鷹平台). The views are nice here and worth a short detour off the main path. The elevated view deck offers nearly a 360 degree view of the surrounding valleys and mountains.
Once you get back onto the main trail you’ll continue climbing stairs and flat sections of a well-maintained and pretty wide boardwalk. It’s not the most rustic trail, but it is a beautiful forest. The boardwalk and stairs end (for now) at a “T” junction. Head right on the stone path towards Daluntoushan peak.
Stay on the this trail straight and it won’t take long to come to the top of Daluntou Mountain. There is a wide clearing and viewing platform with an extended elevated spiral staircase which gives a bit of a better view. It doesn’t had a ton space up there and there can be line ups to go up. It’s worth it on a clear day.
What to Bring
When hiking in Taiwan consider your capabilities before heading out. We hope this helps provide insight into the level of difficulty. When it comes to the kinds of equipment or resources one should bring when hiking this trail in Taiwan, we’ve provided a list below:
- Gloves – There is no need for gloves
- Water – About 1-1.5L of fresh drinking water
- Food/Lunch – There are no services along this trail, so get supplies
- Sunscreen – The trail is covered and shaded almost the entire time, but you may wish to spend time at the peak.
- Camera/Phone – While reception isn’t always the greatest on this trail, the scenery is!
How to Get to Hongdanshan
Get a Ride: Our friends over at Parkbus Taiwan offers direct and return transportation to Jialishan Trailhead from Taipei Main Station. Check out their website for upcoming trips.
If you are driving, you can set this as your location – HERE. Bring $100 in cash to pay for parking. The last 10-15 minutes of this road is narrow and a bit worn down. Jialishan is approximately 2.5 hours from Taipei.
GPS location: N24 31.631 E121 01.475
Public transport: There is no public transportation to Jialishan Trail.
Map & GPX File
(return)
Time Required: 2-2.5 hours
