Lalashan Travel Guide

The oldest Cypress tree was already a mature tree during the lifetime of Jesus and the Buddha.

Lalashan is a beautiful mountain bordering Taoyuan and Yilan counties. It is most famous for its nature reserve, which is home to the oldest Red Hinoki Cypress trees in Taiwan, including several over two thousand years old (the oldest is 2,800 years old). As a popular tourist attraction along the North Cross-Island Highway, the area features a 3.7-km boardwalk, with the largest Cypress trees identified with their age, trunk size and other features, but unfortunately this information is only in Chinese. Other signs along the way inform visitors about aspects of the flora and fauna, and lucky visitors may also spot other rare, protected animals, including monkeys and bears. Towards the entrance is an exhibition hall (on Google Maps as the Lalashan Natural Center) with public toilets, water filters and comfortable wooden seats and tables. As of December 2018, a small portion of the walkway is closed for repair.

Baling Town (巴陵)

The route up to the Lalashan reserve passes through the friendly aboriginal town of Baling, which is actually divided into three parts. Lower Baling (Sia Baling, literally 'Down Baling') is at the turnoff up to Lalashan from the Northern Cross-Island Highway. The Lalashan Visitors Centre is a beautiful rest spot, with picnic tables, toilets, information and beautiful cherry blossoms during the spring.

Lalashan Visitors Centre, at the lower XiaBaling, is beautiful when the cherry trees (right) bloom.

Five kilometres up the steep and windy road is Chung Baling ('Central Baling') where most of the accommodation is located, but there are few other services available. Lookouts along the way offer stunning vistas over the surrounding valley, which is famous for fruit, especially peaches and persimmons, which can be bought along the roadside during the harvest seasons. Two kilometres further up is the service centre of Shang Baling ('Upper Baling'), where there are a lot of convenience stores, a few bad restaurants, and a police station. Lalashan (the Natural Centre / Exhibition Hall, and the forest reserve) is another six kilometres past Shang Baling.

Accommodation

Left: my bungalow room at Lalashan 5.5K Farmstay.
Right: The view from my window.

Most of the accommodation is in Chung Baling (half way up the mountain from the North Cross-Island Highway). I stayed at, and highly recommend, Lalashan 5.5K Farmstay. The hosts were very welcoming and helpful, and at around NT$1,500 (week nights) - 2,000 (Saturdays) it's excellent value for pleasant accommodation in the mountains. Rooms overlook a valley (the "farm" which, like most around here, grows fruit - fortunately not domestic animals!) and a beautiful view of the stars.

As in any accommodation deep in nature, it's important to keep doors and windows closed, to prevent insects from coming inside, but I didn't have any problems here. 

Transport

Lalashan is not easy to get to without private transport.

Directions to the Lalashan Natural Centre (the closes carpark) from your location.

Private Car

The easiest way to reach Lalashan is by car. It's about 2.5 hours / 90 kilometres from Taipei, and about the same from Yilan Station. The roads, especially the last part up to Lalashan, are narrow and winding, and should not be attempted during bad weather (especially snow!) or by anyone not experienced with driving in Taiwan's mountains. The last few kilometres to the parking lot (beside the Exhibition Hall / Lalashan Natural Center) is very narrow, and passes a manned gate to the park.
Parking in the reserve (beside the exhibition hall) costs NT$100. 

Bicycle

I rode to Lalashan by bicycle, and the helpful Aborigines thought I was crazy. Perhaps they were right, and I did appreciate the ride they gave me over one of the steepest mountains. It's a beautiful but challenging ride. The best way is to start at Neiwan Station (inland from Hsinchu), from which it's 55km to the Natural Centre, but this is a very, very steep and challenging 55km, with mountain passes, and very little along the way except a few convenience stores selling unhealthy drinks and snack food, so riders should carry enough food, water, spare parts, warm clothes and other emergency supplies.   

Public Transport from Taoyuan Station

Buses stop at the Linbankou (林班口) stop, from which it's another two kilometres' walk (along a road which is too narrow for buses) to the Natural Centre and forest reserve. Taxis are usually there ferrying passengers between the bus stop and the reserve.

From Taoyuan Station (about half an hour south of Taipei Main Station) take the Chungli Bus 5301 from the bus stop near Taoyuan Station, at 142 Fuxing Road (桃園市桃園區復興路142號,
Directions to the bus stop from your location.)

See Chungli Bus Website (Chinese only).Buses depart at 6:30 and 12:30, and return at 9:30 and 15:30; this information is likely to change, so please always check the time of the last bus back.

Map