Though the temperature at noon is still sweltering, you can still feel the autumn chill in the morning. As the temperature drop, it’s a great time for maple viewing. Though Taiwan is situated in the subtropical zone, the alpine areas still feature a temperate climate with different seasonal scenery. The higher the altitude, the sooner the maples turn golden and cardinal. While the trees are dressing up with new makeups, here are some recommended spots you can keep on the autumn to go list.
Xizhi Gongbei Temple
Every year after the first cold current goes across Taiwan, the maple trees at Gonbei Temple start to turn red. The temple is located in the mountain with an altitude of 139 meters. It’s an easy trail for elders and children.
Best time to visit: December
Taipei Aowanda Manor
Taipei Aowanda features a European style garden. It will be pleasant to have some afternoon tea in the rust-red woods. The manor is just around Yangminghan, so why don’t you also have a half-day hiking tour?
Best time to visit: November to December
Read more: Jingbaoli Trail－ A Walk into Taipei’s Unknown History
Also, check out our Breathing in Nature: A Yangmingshan Hiking & Café Escape Private Tour
Taoyuan Shimen Reservoir
When it is autumn and winter, the maples dye the valleys into ocher red. Though the maples around the reservoir are not as brilliant as those in the alpine, the view is still attractive with bleak beauty.
Best time to visit: November to December
Hsinchu Smarcus
Smarcus tribe is the last community connected to high ways. It is isolated and independent, keeping the original style of Atayal. The village is tranquil and plain. The magnificent mountain and the sublime God’s wood forest make it a dreamland on the earth.
Best time to visit: December
Miaoli Manabon Mountain
Manabon Mountain is the sacred mountain of the Atayal people. The mountain can be visited all year round. Between autumn and winter, the maples along the mountain ridge gradually turn red. It’s one of the must-visit trails for the hikers.
Best time to visit: November to December
Yilan Mingchi
The mist covers Mingchi with a poetic ambiance, making it the gem on the Northern Cross Mountain high way. It’s a picturesque scene when the lake reflects orange Larix pine and maples with verdant mountains and azure sky as a background.
Best time to visit: November to December
Yilan Taiping Mountain
Visitors can see red leaves on the central trail in Taiping Mountain. The maple trees start turning red in April, and the red fire can burn for 5 months. And don’t forget to visit other hiking trails in Taiping Mountain. You can get a complete travel plan here.
Best time to visit: June to August; November to December
Another suggestion for your tour plan in Yilan: Matcha Mountain
Wulin Farm
The altitude of the farm is between 1800 and 2600 meters. If you plan to view the autumn maple, remember to visit Qijiawan Creek, which is the habitat of the precious Formosan landlocked salmon.
Aowanda National Forest Recreational Area
Aowanda is definitely the best place for maple viewing. It has the biggest maple woods in Taiwan. The best spot for maple viewing is on the suspended bridge toward the pine woods, where you can have a close shot of the valley and see the snow covering Central Mountain Ridge.
Best season to visit: October to December
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