Tataka Three Mountains and Mt. Shishui – Hike Mt. Linzhi, Mt. Lulin, and the Highest Peak in Alishan
If you're seeking a hike in Taiwan that requires no permit, offers easy navigation, boasts photogenic views, and takes you along high mountain trails, the Tataka Three Mountains hike is perfect for you. The Tataka Three Mountains—comprising Mt. Linzhi, Mt. Lulin, and Mt. Lulin Front Peak (Lulin Front Mountain) — offer a fantastic combination of scenic beauty and convenience, all achievable in a single day.
This hike is an excellent extension of Alishan, providing a relaxing and flexible way to explore the stunning landscapes near the Alishan area. Whether you're an avid hiker or just looking for a serene outdoor experience, the Tataka Three Mountains hike is an ideal choice.
Plus, you can hike to the highest mountain in the Alishan Mountain Range if you have enough time.
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Table of Contents:
- Trail Information: Mt. Linzhi, Mt. Lulin, Mt. Lulin Front Peak, and Mt. Shishui Main Peak
- Map/GPX Data, Transportation, and Accommodations
- Hike from Mt. Linzhi to Mt. Lulin and the Lulin Front Peak, extending to Mt. Shishui
- About Tataka Three Mountains and Lulin Observatory
- Free Guides: How to Apply for Hiking Permits in Taiwan. Or Hire Me!
- Related Posts
Trail Information: Mt. Linzhi, Mt. Lulin, Mt. Lulin Front Peak, and Mt. Shishui
Trail Name: Mt. Linzhi 麟趾山, Mt. Lulin 鹿林山, and Mt. Lulin Front Peak 鹿林前山, aka Tataka Three Mountains 塔塔加三山. Plus, Mt. Shishui 石水山主峰
Distance: 11 km (6.8 miles), depending on how you hike.
Route type: Loop or Out-and-back
Days/Hours Needed: 3-5 hours
Total Ascent/Descent: 668 m/691 m
Best Time to Go: All seasons.
Permits: Not required
Difficulty Level:
Difficulty Level (with Mt. Shishui):
Distance: 11 km (6.8 miles), depending on how you hike.
Route type: Loop or Out-and-back
Days/Hours Needed: 3-5 hours
Total Ascent/Descent: 668 m/691 m
Best Time to Go: All seasons.
Permits: Not required
Difficulty Level:
Difficulty Level (with Mt. Shishui):
Peaks or Places to Reach
- Mt. Lulin 鹿林山, 2,845 meters (9,334 feet) above sea level.
- Mt. Lulin Front Peak 鹿林前山, 2,862 meters (9,390 feet) above sea level. There is a Class 3 Triangulation Stone on the summit, and it's close to the Lulin Observatory 鹿林天文台.
- Mt. Linzhi 麟趾山, 2,854 meters (9,363.5 feet) above sea level.
- Lulin Lodge 鹿林山莊, 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) above sea level.
- Giant Taiwan Hemlock 塔塔加大鐵杉, 2,740 meters (8,989 feet) above sea level.
- Mt. Shishui Main Peak 石水山主峰, 2,895 meters (9,498 feet) above sea level. Mt. Shishui Main Peak is also the highest in the Alishan Mountain Range. Mt. Data or Dashan is the highest mountain in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area.
Map/GPX Data, Transportation, and Accommodations
GPX Track From My Hike
The following is for those who seek challenges by taking the steep trailhead from Tataka Trailhead. I took this trailhead to Mt. Linzhi, and the 1 km took me almost 1 hour and several breaks to catch my breath.
Click Menu in the map to download, print, or share the map.
You can see more options after clicking the Play button.
Click
to change the speed to meet your condition.
You can see more options after clicking the Play button.
Click
to change the speed to meet your condition.
From Your Location to Tataka Trailhead
Public Transport: from Chiayi to Alishan
No matter where you are in Taiwan, you go to Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) Chiayi Station to take Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus, Alishan Route.
Take Alishan Route 7329 From Taiwan High Speed Rail Chiayi Station to Alishan Transport Station 阿里山轉運站. The bus fare for one trip is NT$278.
Public Transport: from Alishan Transport Station to Upper Dongpu
Take Yuanlin Bus 6739 員林客運 6739 from Alishan Transport Station 阿里山轉運站 at 14:00. Get off at Shangdongpu Stop 上東埔站, and then walk to Dongpu Lodge.
For the latest schedule, please check Yuanlin Bus 員林客運 website for updates. According to their website, passengers must make a reservation 2 days in advance if they want to use EasyCard to pay the bus fare.
Driving to Shangdongpu Parking Lot
Click the map of Shangdongpu Parking Lot. If you drive from Shuili, Nantou, please check the traffic control before you go. The section between 110 and 145k of the Taiwan Provincial Highway 21 台21線 is closed from 17:30 to 7:00 the next day.
Accommodations
Dongpu Lodge is the only hostel near the Paiyun Mountaineering Service Center, and the altitude is high enough to acclimatize. Dongpu Lodge offers bunk beds for NT$400 per person per night. Dongpu Lodge is 2,580 meters above sea level.
Another option is to stay at Wangxiang Village before the hike. The drive from Wangxiang Village to Shangdongpu Parking Lot takes around one hour. We often stay at Xiaosong Kalibuan Village, which also provides a porter and pickup service. Wangxiang Village is 850 meters above sea level.
Hike from Mt. Linzhi to Mt. Lulin and the Lulin Front Peak, extending to Mt. Shishui
Suggested itinerary: Shangdongpu Parking Lot ➔ the Giant Taiwan Hemlock ➔ Yushan Forest Road ➔ Lulin Front Peak/Lulin Observatory ➔ Return to Yushan Forest Road to Lulin Lodge ➔ Mt. Lulin Trail ➔ Mt. Lulin ➔ Mt. Linzhi Saddle ➔ Mt. Linzhi ➔ Return to Mt. Linzhi Saddle ➔ Return to the Giant Taiwan Hemlock ➔ Return to Shangdongpu Parking Lot
Note: the entrance to Mt. Shishui Main Peak is next to Mt. Lulin Front Peak. The round trip takes at least 90 minutes.
Note: the entrance to Mt. Shishui Main Peak is next to Mt. Lulin Front Peak. The round trip takes at least 90 minutes.
This trail can be a loop hike, but you can decide how many peaks to hike, depending on your time. The trail is straightforward to navigate and well-maintained. You can enjoy this hike by following the footpaths and steps.
If you only have 2 hours to hike, hike from Shangdongpu Parking Lot, to the Giant Taiwan Hemlock, and take the Yushan Forest Road to Mt. Linzhi Saddle. Then, hike the footpath to Mt. Linzhi to see the amazing Yushan ridge.
Mt. Linzhi 麟趾山 from Shangdongpu Parking Lot
Hiking from Shangdongpu Parking Lot via the Giant Taiwan Hemlock to Mt. Linzhi Saddle is the easier way to enjoy Mt. Linzhi. It takes around 30 minutes from the parking lot to the saddle.
After passing through the saddle, the view opens up with the Yushan Range and high mountains on the South Cross-island Highway.
Then, follow the footpath on the left; the landscape is fantastic when the weather is good. You will see this junction to the Scenic Outlook, and you can make a short detour to enjoy the view.
When reaching Mt. Linzhi, you will see Yushan peaks on the one side and Alishan on the other side. It takes around 30 to 40 minutes from Mt. Linzhi Saddle to Mt. Linzhi.
Mt. Linzhi 麟趾山 from Tataka Trailhead
The distance from Tataka Trailhead (also the trailhead for hiking Mt. Jade) to Mt. Linzhi is only 1 km, but it took me almost 1 hour to reach the peak, despite taking several breaks. The elevation gain is 244 meters.
Yet, the view from this route is also breathtaking. While scaling up, I saw Yushan North Peak, Main Peak, Front Peak, and other peaks on my hiking list.
During my hike, it was also the blossom season for Foxloves (Digitalis). It looked like a Foxlove paradise. Foxlove is poisonous, so please do not touch this plant.
If you take this route back to Tataka Trailhead, you need to walk around 2.8 km back to the Shangdongpu Parking Lot.
Mt. Lulin 鹿林山
After completing the hike to Mt. Linzhi, you can retrace your steps back to the Mt. Lulin Saddle and continue your hike to Mt. Lulin. It takes around 60 to 80 minutes from Mt. Linzhi to Mt. Lulin.
While Mt. Lulin doesn't offer the panoramic views that Mt. Linzhi does, you can still enjoy some scenic vistas.
If you take Yushan Forest Road 玉山林道 to hike Mt. Lulin, you will see Lulin Lodge at the junction.
The trail between Mt. Lulin and Mt. Lulin Front Peak is a dirt path, which may be challenging for newbie hikers. An alternative option is to take the stairs down to Yushan Forest Road and then proceed to Mt. Lulin Front Peak.
Mt. Lulin Front Peak (Lulin Front Mountain) 鹿林前山
Before reaching Mt. Lulin Front Peak, hikers have to tackle the taxing zig-zag stairs.
When I first hiked to Mt. Lulin Front Peak in November 2025, it looked different. Many trees at the summit had been removed, resulting in more open views. It takes around 30 minutes from Mt. Lulin to Mt. Lulin Front Peak.
From Mt. Lulin Front Peak to Mt. Shishui Main Peak 石水山主峰 and back
You will pass a sign of Lulinshan Major Wildlife Habitat 鹿林山野生動物重要棲息環境 before reaching Lulin Observatory and the entrance to Mt. Shishui Main Peak is right next to it.
The trail to Mt. Shishui Main Peak is on the ridge, but it's mostly covered by dwarf bamboo and trees. The more burdensome part is it's mostly downhill, and you have to take the same route back.
I saw two mountains on the map, but after reaching Mt. Shihui Main Peak, I realized how steep the slope was and didn't want to climb back. As a result, I decided to give up on the other peak.
So this is the highest mountain in the Alishan Mountain Range. I prefer Tataka Three Mountains better, but it's still something to achieve.
See the Giant Taiwan Hemlock
The section from the Shangdongpu Parking Lot to the Giant Taiwan Hemlock might be the steepest part of this hike, but it gets easier when you turn to the Yushan Forest Road.
The Giant Taiwan Hemlock, which is around 24 meters high, is estimated to be around 900 years old. It has become a landmark in the Tataka area.
About Tataka Three Mountains, and Lulin Observatory
During the early Japanese colonial era, there were three main routes to climb Yushan. One of these routes started from Zhaoping Station 沼平車站 in Alishan, winding through Shuishan, Shishan, and the Lulin Mountain ridge, finally reaching the Tataka saddle before ascending Yushan. Unfortunately, this long and challenging path no longer exists today.
During the mid-Japanese colonial era, the government, driven by economic interests in timber extraction and the promotion of mountaineering, erected a railway from Eryu 兒玉 (now called Zhizhong 自忠) through Lulin Mountain to Dongpu (Tataka saddle). Source.
In 1926, they also established a new trail to Yushan and constructed three mountain lodges. One of these lodges, the Lulin Lodge, emerged as a pivotal overnight stop for early climbers, significantly shortening the journey's duration and distance.
Today, the route from Lulin Mountain to Yushan is no longer popular. However, it gained some attention in 2016 when former President Ma Ying-jeou chose to stay at Lulin Lodge, paying NT$15,800 per night for a private booking, before making his ascent to Yushan Main Peak. Lulin Lodge can accommodate 22 people and is only available for government staff; it is not open to the public.
About Lulin Observatory 鹿林天文台
The Lulin Observatory, officially opened in 1999, is Taiwan's most important optical astronomy base. It is managed by the Graduate Institute of Astronomy at National Central University 中央大學天文研究所 and located on the front peak of Lulin Mountain at an elevation of 2,862 meters.
Positioned in central Taiwan, it is less affected by the northeast monsoon, southwest airflow, and typhoons, and its high-altitude location provides excellent transparency and sky conditions.
Research at the Lulin site began in 1990 with a temporary observation station on Lulin's front peak for site selection studies and astronomy education. In 1999, a 76 cm ultra-light telescope, designed and manufactured in-house, was installed and tested. In 2002, Taiwan's first telescope with a diameter exceeding one meter, the Lulin One-meter Telescope, was installed.
Lulin Observatory has made numerous groundbreaking discoveries in Taiwan's nearly century-long history of astronomical development, including the discovery of asteroids and comets and the permanent naming of asteroids. Source about Lulin Observatory.
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