An Easy Hike Near the Maokong Gondola
Taking the Maokong Gondola is a memorable and kid-friendly activity that offers some amazing views of Taipei. There’s also an easy hike near Maokong Station, the last Gondola station. It’s called the Camphor Tree Trail, and it’s a fairly flat trail where visitors can walk by rice fields and a fish pond, take photos with a water buffalo cart and village bike, walk through a small farm, and visit a little village. There’s minimal shade on the trail if your visiting on a sunny day, but it does offer some really scenic views.
To reach the trail head turn right when leaving Maokong station, and walk up a small hill by an old charcoal kiln and a replica of a pig farm, until you see a sign with a cat and an arrow pointing to the right. This is the start of the trail, and it’s 1.1 km each way. The path is paved with stone, so easy to walk but a little bumpy for strollers. The trail ends at a small village, at which point visitors can either turn around, or make the trail a circle by taking the Zhanghu Trail back to the station.
Address: Lane 38, Section 3, Zhinan Road, Wenshan District, Taipei City
Hours: 24hrs, daily
Phone: 02 2759 3001
Find out more:
Name and Address in Chinese:
名稱: 樟樹步道
地址: 116台北市文山區指南路三段38巷
Things to do with kids:
Enjoy riding the gondola up to Maokong Station.
Let kids pose for pictures on the staged props, like a village bike and buffalo cart.
Feed the fish at the fish pond.
Stop for a rest an a rest station and enjoy the views, and maybe even take a popsicle break as there’s a stand along the route.
Run around and enjoy being outside! :)
Additional Information:
The Mekong Gondola is regularly suspended due to the weather, so make sure to check the ‘Operation Bulletins’ on their website.
Kids under 6 are free, and adult fare to go from first to last station is NT$120.
