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A Guide to Applying for Hiking Permits to Trek the Popular High Mountains in Taiwan

Posted by:  Anusha Lee
Published date: January 19, 2023
Last update: August 31, 2024
The stunning scenery of the high mountains in Taiwan has attracted local and international hikers. However, most high mountain trails are within the national parks. Therefore, hikers need to apply for permits to hike those trails. Although there are English versions of how to apply for hiking permits on the national parks' websites, it is still confusing to understand the process.
Morning view of Zhongbaping to Mt. Dabajian
Mt. Dabajian, Xueshan and the Holy Ridge (Shengleng Trail)
Luckily, the National Parks decided to make the application process easier by updating the website and putting all the applications in one place. Some sections might still be confusing, and some don't have English translations, but at least they tried.
Taiwan highest mountain: Jade Mountain hike
The last section to Jade Mountain is dangerous.
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Table of Contents:

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The New Application Website: Hike Smart Taiwan Service

Please remember to send your application to Hike Smart Taiwan Service 臺灣登山申請一站式服務網 between 7:00 - 23:00 (GMT+8).
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You can also check the earliest date to send your application here, which is important if you want to apply for the Yushan hike.

Improvements on the New Permit Application Website

After using Hike Smart Taiwan Service 臺灣登山申請一站式服務網 for a while, there are several improvements.
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The layout looks cleaner.
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We can see whether the trails are open and what permits we need to apply.
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The Police Permit application will show up and display the route automatically after we put it in the previous section.
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We can apply for the Jiaming Lake Trail on this page, too. Remember to click "National Trail."
Of course, there is still room to make the application process more user-friendly and easily understood. For example, it's not fully English-translated on the page of "National Trail."
permit-new-website-national-trails
The application page for the Jiaming Lake, Qilai Nanhua, and Mt. Beidawu is still not fully English-translated.
Please do your homework before you hike those popular trails. Several local governments have specific regulations for activities in mountain areas. Please read the post Essential Guide to Hiking Regulations in Taiwan to avoid unnecessary hefty fines.

How to Use the Hike Smart Taiwan Service to Apply for Hiking Permits

Since "Hike Smart Taiwan Service" has been improved and made more straightforward, I have only included a short video to help you understand how to use the website.

High Mountain Trails with Advanced or Priority Applications

The national parks provide advanced applications to accommodate international visitors' schedules and ensure they get cabin spots. Those spots are only available on weekdays, and there is a ratio requirement between foreign nationals and local Taiwanese guides.
Things about hiking Jade Mountain-transport-one-day-hike - 4
Only a handful of high mountain trails provide advanced applications for foreign nationalities. Shei-pa National Park even excludes those foreign nationalities with APRC or ARC cards for advanced applications by asking applicants to provide flight tickets or passport records.
  1. Yushan National Park: Paiyun Lodge for the Yushan hike
  2. Shei-pa National Park: Qika Lodge for the Xueshan (Snow Mountain) hike
  3. Shei-pa National Park: Jiujiu Lodge for the Mt. Dabajian hike
  4. National Trail: Kuaigu Lodge for the Mt. Beidawu hike
  5. National Trail: Siangyang Cabin and Jiaming Lake Cabin for the Jiaming Lake trail
  6. National Trail: Tianchi Lodge for the Qilai Nanhua hike (This trail is closed till the end of December 2024.)
  7. Taroko National Park: Zhuilu Old Trail (Trail is closed due to the earthquake on the 3rd of April, 2024.)

Hiking Insurance and Regulations

Five local governments, Miaoli County, Taichung County, Nantou County, Hualien County, and Pingtung County, require hikers to purchase hiking insurance. Otherwise, hikers might get a hefty fine of up to NT$30,000.
One thing about hiking insurance in Taiwan is it doesn't cover the cost of flying with a helicopter. The rescue team will evaluate the patient's condition, the terrain, the weather, and other things to decide whether they can airlift the patient to the hospital.
So far, hikers don't have to pay for a helicopter if they need to be airlifted. This topic has been under debate for a while because some hikers abused these resources and caused several public outrages in the past.

The Most Popular High Mountains in Taiwan and The Detailed Routes

Those are the most popular high mountain trails in Taiwan. When applying for permits, you can use the routes below as a reference.

1. Yushan (Jade Mountain) Trail

Nobody can deny that Yushan (Jade Mountain), the highest mountain in Taiwan, is Taiwan's most popular hiking trail, aka most difficult to apply.
Day 1 Itinerary: Paiyun Mountaineering Service Center ➔ Tataka Trailhead ➔ Paiyun Lodge
Day 2 Itinerary: Paiyun Lodge ➔ Yushan Main Peak ➔ Paiyun Lodge ➔ Tataka Trailhead ➔ Paiyun Mountaineering Center
Jade Mountain. Photo by Jin Jin
Jade Mountain, or Yushan, Main Peak. Photo by Jin Jin.

2. Xueshan (Snow Mountain) Trail

Xueshan (Snow Mountain, Sylvia Mountain) is the second-highest mountain in Taiwan.
Day 1 Itinerary: Trailhead of Xue Mountain ➔ Qika Cabin ➔ East Peak of Xue Mountain ➔ Saliujiu Temporary Campground
Day 2 Itinerary: Main Peak of Xue Mountain ➔ Saliujiu Temporary Campground ➔ East Peak of Xue Mountain ➔ Qika Cabin ➔ Trailhead of Xue Mountain
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Xueshan Main Peak, 3,886 meters above sea level

3. Mt. Dabajian and Mt. Xiaobajian (Daba Peaks Trail)

Mt. Dabajian is the mountain depicted on Taiwan's $500 banknote.
Day 1 Itinerary: Trailhead of Daba Peaks Trail ➔ Trailhead of Madara Creek ➔ Jiujiu Cabin
Day 2 Itinerary: Jiujiu Cabin ➔ Jiali Mountain ➔ Yizhe Mountain ➔ Jhongba Hut ➔ Dabajian Mountain ➔ Xiaobajian Mountain ➔ Dabajian Mountain ➔ Jhongba Hut ➔ Yizhe Mountain ➔ Jiujiu Cabin
Day 3 Itinerary: Jiujiu Cabin ➔ Trailhead of Madara Creek ➔ Trailhead of Daba Peaks Trail
Dabajian Mountain in Taiwan
Mt. Dabajian and Mt. Xiaobajian

4. Jiaming Lake Trail (Traditional Route)

See the post of Jiaming Lake for details.
Route 1:
Day 1 Itinerary: Siangyang National Forest Recreation Area ➔ Siangyang Cabins
Day 2 Itinerary: Siangyang Cabin ➔ Sancha intersection ➔ Siangyang Mountain ➔ Jiaming Lake Cabin Installation ➔ Sancha Mountain ➔ Jiaming Lake ➔ Jiaming Lake Cabin/Jiaming Lake Campsite
Day 3 Itinerary: Jiaming Lake Cabins / Jiaming Lake Campsite ➔ Siangyang Cabin ➔ Siangyang National Forest Recreation Area
Route 2:
Day 1 Itinerary: Siangyang National Forest Recreation Area ➔ Siangyang Cabins ➔ Sancha intersection ➔ Siangyang Mountain ➔ Jiaming Lake Cabin/Jiaming Lake Campsite
Day 2 Itinerary: Jiaming Lake Cabin ➔ Sancha Mountain ➔ Jiaming Lake ➔ Jiaming Lake Cabin/Jiaming Lake Campsite
Day 3 Itinerary: Jiaming Lake Cabin/Jiaming Lake Campsite ➔ Siangyang Cabin ➔ Siangyang National Forest Recreation Area
Jiaming Lake in the morning
Jiaming Lake

5. Qilai Nanhua (Trail Closed)

The Qilai Nanhua: Mt. Qilai South Peak and Mt. Nanhua Trail is closed due to landslides. The route and trailhead have been changed, too (an update is coming soon.)
100 Peaks: Mt. Qilai South Peak and Mt. Nanhua
Qilai Nanhua
Another popular high mountain is Hehuanshan, but it's easy to access and requires no permits. So, Hehuanshan is not discussed here.
Huhuanshan Peaks
Songxue Lodge at Hehuanshan

How to Hike All 100 Peaks in Taiwan

If you aim to hike other 100 Peaks trails in Taiwan, please check out the post How to Complete 100 Peaks to see how to group those mountains and plan your hikes.
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The List of Taiwan's 100 High Mountains and How to Complete 100 Peaks
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