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There are many forest trails in the Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area in Yilan, but one of them is recommended by mountain friends as the "Must Go in Autumn" and the "Best Trail for Maple Viewing". This is the Taiwan Beech Trail to be introduced this time. Due to the early cooling this year, the editor of Orange first went to help everyone find the way and found that the forest has begun to slowly change color, and every holiday from mid-October is a good time to go to the Taiwan Beech Trail!

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About Taiwan Beech Trail

Altitude: 1878 meters ｜ Trail length 3.8 kilometers

Difficulty: ●●●○○ ｜ Round trip about 3 hours

Popular season time: October-November is the peak season, the leaves before falling leaves in winter will turn from green to golden. The entire period of the golden forest is limited, so every October will attract friends from all over the world to chase maple rewards.

Grasp the latest leaf status of Taiwan beech >> https://www.facebook.com/tps100.forest

The Taiwan Beech Trail is located in the Taiping Mountain National Forest Recreation Area. It is an extremely special and precious trail, because its famous "Taiwan Beech" protected by the "Law of Cultural Assets", also known as "Taiwan Shuiqinggang", has survived from the Ice Age until today With its precious plants and the different scenery in the four seasons, it is no exaggeration to go four times a year.

Transportation

1. By car (from Taipei): Take National Highway No. 5 to County Highway 191 in Zhuangwei Township. Take the exit 38-Yilan and exit at the interchange and continue on County Road 191. Take Yi 18-2 Township Road to Yuanshan Township on Beiheng Highway/Yuanshan Road Section 3/Taiwan Line 7 to Datong Township, and follow Taiping Forest Road to Pingyuanlin Road in Nanao Township to reach the destination.

2. Chartered car (departing from residence): order the chartered car service on the official website of Orange Cat Travel Charter before departure, and then you can depart from your residence directly to your destination at the specified time.

3. Sign up for a one-day tour (weekdays only): order the [Beginner Hiking] Golden View x Taiping Mountain Beech Day Tour on the official website of Orange Cat Travel Charter, and you can take a comfortable minibus to and from Taipei (by transportation Ride-sharing service).

Traffic control: From October 17th to November 15th, 109, a "dynamic" total number of vehicles will be controlled at the entrance of "Cuifeng Scenic Road" every weekend on the 6th, so that the maximum number of vehicles entering is maintained within 150. It is recommended Take public transportation or the "Autumn Shuttle Bus".

Road condition

"Starting Point-Cuifeng Mountain House"

The starting point of the Taiwan Beech Trail is next to Cuifeng Mountain House. If you are driving by yourself, there will be parking spaces under the house, but there are not many and there will be many traffic restrictions during peak seasons. If you don’t want to wait for parking spaces or traffic jams, I really recommend chartering a car or taking the public transport.

After passing Cuifeng Mountain House, you can stop for a while, because this is the nearest toilet and catering department. If there is a shortage of water or food, you can replenish it here. Besides, this is actually one of the best places to "see the maple" , You don’t have to climb, you can see the maple leaves that have turned from green to red just by the side of the mountain house!
 

"Front part of the trail – walk smoothly before 2.4K"

It was just close to noon when I entered the trail, and there were a lot of clouds and drizzle in the trail. Although the first half of the trail is smooth and easy to walk, some sections of the trail will be muddy and slightly slippery due to the rain. It is recommended that you wear it Waterproof and non-slip hiking shoes, easy to walk, shoes are dirty and less heartache!
 

While avoiding the mud, "leaves" with clear veins appeared under the feet. I asked the guide in the same group to find out that this was a log-shaped wooden stake laid to protect the moss in the trail, and the anti-slip facilities above Taiwan beech leaf veining decoration not only protects the moss from being trampled on, but also highlights the unique charm of the beech trail.
 

"Back section of the trail-a steep drop after 2.4K"

Compared with other popular trails in Taiping Mountain (Cuifeng Lake Mountain Trail, Jianqing Huaigu Trail, etc.), the second half of the Taiwan Beech Trail is quite challenging. When you arrive at the observatory, it is time to choose, because after passing the observatory The trail will have a drop of 100 meters above sea level, and the mobile phone signal is weak (there is still 1.3K from the end point), so it is recommended that you still evaluate your own situation before deciding whether to move on.

Upon arriving at the observatory, we found that the sky was gradually clearing, so after the guide assessed the team members' condition, we decided to continue walking. At the end of the trail, we were greeted by the rare sunshine and the whole beech on the Taiping Mountain. Although the last section of the undercut is a test of physical strength, after entering the undercut, you begin to see the scenery different from the first half, including admiring the beech from a distance, and the whole piece of trees from green to golden. Although this section of the road is difficult to walk, just experience it. It is definitely worth it.

"Eggs along the Victoria Peak"

After entering the ticketing station, on the way to the Taiwan Beech Trail (at 14.5K, Yizhuan Line 1), you can see a grandfather red juniper over 2500 years old. The tree is about ten stories high and requires six people to hold together.
 

In addition to many precious and long-standing plants in Taiping Mountain, there are also many Taiwanese wild animals, such as Taiwanese macaques, squirrels, etc. You should not only pay attention to road conditions at all times, but also pay attention to small animals on the side of the road.

Orange cat's thoughtful suggestions

If you want to take a picture of the beech without cloud and fog, it is recommended that you go out as soon as possible, because the terrain of the Taiping Mountains is usually very easy to fog after 11 am, and it is not recommended to enter the trail after 2 pm, early birds If there are worms, let’s get up early and take the Taiwan Beech Trail with the editor of Orange!

[Beginner Hiking] One-day Tour of Golden View x Taiping Mountain：8car.com.tw/en/goodseason/377

2020 Delegation Form: Taiwan's Exquisite Mountaineering and Hiking Tour

Suggested transportation: Taiwan customized charter service