Conquering the Elephant Mountain Trail
Thursday, 3 April 2014 | Taipei, Taiwan
The most popular hiking trail in Taipei is the Elephant Mountain Trail hike. The trail consists of hundreds of stairs leading to a spectacular view over Taipei. I found the trail to be daunting at times as the stairs seem never-ending. But people of all ages hike this trail.
Table of Contents
The starting point:
My journey to the Elephant Trail started when we exited the Eslite Bookstore and immediately saw signs pointing towards the Elephant Trail. We decided to walk 1.3km to our trail instead of taking the MRT. If you do decide to take the MRT, hop on the XinYi (red line) and ride it to the terminal station, Elephant Mountain. Follow the signs to the trail.
Signs to Elephant Mountain are posted everywhere! If you get lost, just follow the crowd.
Directions from exit 2 of XinYi MRT:
- Walk straight through Zhong Qiang Park (about 5 Minutes) until it ends.
- Turn left and go up the road to the mountain.
- Keep going until you see a residential area and stairways to your left. You arrived at the right place when you see signs to the trail stop. The stairways is the starting point of the trail.
Difficulty:
I am not very athletic but I do enjoy a good hike. The roads can be very steep at some points or very narrow. The roads are not paved smoothly but there are rails to help you with your balance. The hike took me about 20 minutes. The hike was not long and the view was rewarding. The walk down was easier. It took me about 5 minutes.
Resting Points:
There are several resting points along the way. There are various photo opt moments built on this trail where you can stop to rest or stop to capture a glimpse of the city. There are also benches or step to the side by the “jungle” area. Beware, there are mosquitoes. I went home with about 7 bumps.
The Finale:
Once you reach the top, there are picnic tables and oddly placed gym equipment. Enjoy mingling with the locals.
What to Bring:
Water! I can’t stress that enough. The weather was getting sticky and hot. Hydrate yourself!
Bug spray. I found bites all over me when I returned to my accommodations.
Overall, I recommend this hike. This was perhaps the best part of my trip! I can’t wait to go back.