Location: Eastern Taiwan, Hualien County, extending into Taichung and Nantou

Established: 1986

Taroko is arguably Taiwan’s most famous natural landmark and certainly its most visited national park. The centrepiece is Taroko Gorge, a 19-kilometre canyon carved by the Liwu River through some of the hardest marble on earth. The walls, streaked white and grey, rise hundreds of metres above the road in places. The park covers 92,000 hectares — more than 90% of which is mountainous — ranging from sea level at the Pacific coast to peaks above 3,700 metres. It contains lots of Taiwan’s known plant and animal species.

The park’s scale is easy to underestimate. Most visitors experience only the gorge road (Provincial Highway 8), which follows the Liwu River westward from the coast. This is spectacular and worth doing. But Taroko is also the eastern gateway to the Central Cross-Island Highway and includes the Hehuanshan area near Wuling, with high-altitude hiking above 3,000 metres that receives far fewer visitors than the gorge itself.

Important caveat: The April 2024 Hualien earthquake caused extensive damage throughout the gorge. As of early 2026, many trails and viewpoints remain closed or partially accessible, with restoration ongoing. Before visiting, check the Taroko National Park Headquarters website for the current status of specific roads and trails, as the situation continues to evolve.

What to look for:

Along the gorge road, the Swallow Grotto（燕子口） section is the most visually striking stretch — sheer marble walls pocked with natural swallow holes, with the river thundering below. The Eternal Spring Shrine（長春祠）, a small temple built into a cliff face over a waterfall, is one of Taiwan’s most photographed scenes and commemorates the workers who died building the cross-island highway. Tianxiang（天祥）, at the gorge’s western end, has a suspension bridge and temple complex set against a backdrop of peaks.

For those willing to go further, Hehuanshan offers an accessible introduction to Taiwan’s high-mountain environment. At around 3,000 metres, the area has open ridgelines, meadows, and short hiking loops.

Who it suits: Almost everyone — but plan which section of the park you are visiting. The gorge road suits day-trippers and those with mobility limitations; Hehuanshan suits hikers wanting altitude without complex permitting; serious trekkers can pursue multi-day routes deeper into the park.