- Closest Shibajianshan and Qingcaohu, in Hsinchu City's East District, about 20 to 25 minutes' drive from Zhubei HSR Station outside rush hour (our estimate).
- Best half day Lion's Head Mountain (獅頭山) on the Emei side, with a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus from Zhubei.
- Getting there car for almost everything outside the city. Buses reach Shibajianshan and Lion's Head; the rest is realistically a drive or a taxi.
- When October to April is the comfortable season. In summer, start by 07:00 or go late afternoon.
If you live in Zhubei or Hsinchu City, you don't need to drive to the high mountains for a good walk. The low hills around the Touqian River and the Hakka townships of Qionglin, Baoshan, Emei and Guanxi are full of short, well-built trails: stone steps, boardwalks, temples at the top and tea or persimmon farms on the way. From Jason's years in Zhubei, the pattern we'd suggest is simple: a city hill on weekday evenings, one of the county trails on a weekend morning, and Lion's Head Mountain or the bigger walks in Jianshi when you have the whole day.
Drive times below are our estimates from Zhubei HSR Station (高鐵新竹站) outside rush hour, worked out from distance and road type. Weekday rush hour around the Science Park and weekend afternoons on Highway 3 can add a lot. Lengths and difficulty are from the Hsinchu County tourism site, Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area or the city government unless we say otherwise.
| Trail | Where | Length (official) | Drive from Zhubei HSR (estimate) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shibajianshan | East District, Hsinchu City | about 3.6 km main trail | 20 min | Evening walks, running, spring flowers |
| Qingcaohu loop | East District, Hsinchu City | 2 km loop | 25 min | Flat stroll, prams |
| Feifengshan | Qionglin | 1.8 to 2.8 km routes | 20 min | A short climb with views |
| Fengqi Sunset Trail | Zhubei coast hills | about 3 km | 25 min | Sunset (under rebuild in 2026) |
| Baoshan lake loop | Baoshan | 3.2 km, about 50 min | 25 to 30 min | Families, suspension bridges |
| Emei Lake loop and Shierliao | Emei | about 3.5 km plus 1.5 km | 35 min | Easy lake walk, Hakka villages |
| Lion's Head Mountain | Emei / Nanzhuang border | about 4.9 km (Shishan Historic Trail) | 40 min | Temples, a real half day |
| Chikeshan | Guanxi | 6 km, about 3 hours | 35 min | Longer ridge walk |
| Dashanbei trails | Hengshan | 1.71 km and 3.6 km | 45 min | Cherry blossom, fireflies |
| Wuzhishan cross-ridge trail | Beipu / Zhudong / Wufeng | 1.1 km | 45 to 50 min | Ridge with ropes, temples |
In the city
Shibajianshan (十八尖山)
Shibajianshan is Hsinchu City's everyday hill: a forested ridge between Boai Street and Baoshan Road in the East District, a 15-minute drive from the old city centre. It opened as a park in 1924 and the city counts close to two million visits a year. The renovated main trail is about 3.6 km; the whole ridge and park run to about 7 to 8 km of paths. It's a gentle climb, from about 50 m to a high point of about 132 m at Jieshou Pavilion (介壽亭). Spring is the season for it, when the city runs a flower event.
- Trailheads The usual start is on Boai Street (博愛街) near Hsinchu Commercial Vocational High School (新竹高商). The road through the park is closed to cars in the early morning, until 08:00 according to the national tourism site.
- Parking Shibajianshan car park at Lane 5, No. 77, Boai Street: 180 car and 105 scooter spaces, 08:00 to 22:00, NT$20 an hour (fees restarted on 15 March 2025).
- Transport TRA Hsinchu Station is about 1.7 km away. Bus stops at 新竹高商, 新竹高中 and 高峰植物園 are about 500 m from the park. A YouBike dock at 新竹高中停車場 is about 500 m away.
Next door, the Gaofeng Botanical Garden adds three more routes through about 16 hectares of forest, an hour or two of walking according to the city. Combine the two for a longer loop.
Qingcaohu (青草湖)
The lake at Qingcaohu, south of the National Tsing Hua University area, has a 2 km loop path that opened in 2021, with shade, viewing platforms and night lighting. It's flat, so it works with a pram or grandparents. It isn't a hike, more a lap after dinner. The city was clearing weeds from the lake in early 2026 and planned a light-art festival from 7 November 2026, so expect events and more people this month. We couldn't confirm parking or a bus route from an official page.
20 to 30 minutes from Zhubei
Feifengshan (飛鳳山), Qionglin
The closest real hill to Zhubei. Feifengshan rises to 435.5 m above Qionglin (芎林), across the Touqian River from the HSR area, and the trails start at Daiquan Temple (代勸堂, 燥坑19). The county lists three routes: the Xinfeng Village forest trail (2,200 m) and two versions of the Guanriping Historic Trail (觀日坪古道, 1,800 m and 2,800 m). Expect stone steps and a steady climb, with a pavilion and temples at the top. It's open all year.
Getting there: about 20 minutes' drive from Zhubei HSR Station (our estimate). A weekend Taiwan Tourist Shuttle stop was trialled here in 2019; we couldn't confirm it still runs, so plan to drive. We also saw a reference to repair work on the Guanriping trail in early 2026 that we couldn't open: call the Qionglin Township Office (03-5921135) before you go if you're set on that route.
Fengqi Sunset Trail (鳳崎落日步道), Zhubei
Zhubei's own hill walk, on the low ridge between Zhubei and Xinfeng that looks over the coast. The Fengqi Sunset Trail runs about 3 km from Tiande Temple (天德堂) in the east to Lianhua Temple (蓮花寺, 竹北市蓮花路925號) in the west, with Second World War tunnels and bunkers along the way and the Taiwan Strait below. It's gentle and family-friendly, and the name tells you when to go.
Under rebuild: in July 2026 the Zhubei City Office announced a NT$17.67 million rebuild of the trail after damage from Typhoon Bavi (巴威) and fallen trees, due to finish in spring 2027. The announcement didn't say whether the trail stays open during the work. Call the Zhubei City Office (03-5515919) before you go. Status as of November 2026.
Baoshan lake loop (寶山環湖步道)
The Baoshan lake loop, also called the Shahuli trail (沙湖壢步道), circles the Baoshan reservoir area in 3.2 km, about 50 minutes, on stone slabs and old railway sleepers, crossing two suspension bridges (寶湖吊橋 and 碧湖吊橋). It starts at the Shahuli Art Center, near Zhongfu Zen Temple (種福禪寺, 新湖路472號). Gentle and shaded, it's the one we'd pick for children who can walk an hour. About 25 to 30 minutes' drive from Zhubei HSR (our estimate), past the Baoshan side of the Science Park; no bus we could confirm.
Emei Lake loop (峨眉湖環湖步道) and Shierliao (十二寮步道)
Emei Lake has an easy, flat loop of about 3.5 km that crosses the Ximaopu suspension bridge (細茅埔吊橋) to the farms of Shierliao. The start is beside the lakeside inn at 西河排11-10號, and Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area lists a car park with accessible spaces. If you want a little climbing, add the Shierliao trail: 1.5 km of stone, brick and sleeper steps between farmhouses, rated easy. About 35 minutes' drive from Zhubei HSR (our estimate). → Beipu and Emei for a day
Worth the extra drive
Lion's Head Mountain (獅頭山), Emei
The best half-day hike near Hsinchu. Lion's Head Mountain sits on the Hsinchu and Miaoli border inside Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area, and the Shishan Historic Trail (獅山古道) climbs past 11 temples, some built into the cliff, to Wangyue Pavilion (望月亭) on the county line. Count on about 4.9 km. The quieter Liuliao Historic Trail (六寮古道, about 3.6 km) passes a pair of old camphor trees, and you can drop down the Tengping trail (藤坪步道) partway. April and May bring the tung blossom.
- Start The Lion's Head Mountain Visitor Center on the Emei side (六寮60-8號), open 08:30 to 17:30. The trail itself is open 24 hours; each temple keeps its own hours.
- Transport 5700 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Lion's Head line from Zhubei Station and HSR Hsinchu Station via Zhudong and Beipu, or bus 5626 from Zhudong Station. Check the current timetable before you go.
- Drive About 40 minutes from Zhubei HSR (our estimate).
- Status Tri-Mountain listed the trail as open, page updated March 2026; we found no closure notice in November 2026.
Chikeshan (赤柯山步道), Guanxi
For a longer walk: 6 km, about 3 hours, up to 454 m, on mountain path and farm road that gets slippery in places. The county rates it easy, but it's the longest on this page. The Chikeshan trailhead is at Taiyuan Temple (太元宮, 玉山里赤柯山2巷12號), and the trail links to the Dongshitou ridge (東獅頭山) through several entrances. About 35 minutes' drive from Zhubei HSR via Freeway 3 (our estimate). → Xinpu and Guanxi
Dashanbei (大山背), Hengshan
Up a winding road above Hengshan, the Dashanbei hills have two county trails: the Dashanbei Cherry Blossom Trail (1.71 km, easy, starting at the Dashanbei leisure farm), with cherry blossom in spring and fireflies in April and May, and the Qilin Trail (麒麟步道, 3.6 km, easy to moderate) from Shengyun Temple (聖雲寺) up to a 647 m summit with no view at the top. About 45 minutes' drive from Zhubei HSR (our estimate), the last part on narrow roads. You can camp up here too: see camping in Hsinchu County.
Wuzhishan (五指山), Beipu
Five Finger Mountain is one of Taiwan's "Small 100 Peaks" (小百岳), where Beipu, Zhudong and Wufeng meet. The Wuzhishan cross-ridge trail is only 1.1 km and rated easy, but it's boardwalk, sleepers, stone steps and dirt, with a few steep sections on ropes. Start from Zhulin Zen Garden (竹林禪苑) in Waiping Village. About 45 to 50 minutes' drive from Zhubei HSR (our estimate), the last stretch up a mountain road.
Before you go
- Water, a hat and insect repellent, even on the city hills. Shade comes and goes.
- Shoes with grip. Stone steps and sleepers are slippery after rain, and the Plum Rains (May and June) and typhoon season (July to October) bring plenty.
- Check the trail after a typhoon. County and township pages are slow to update, so phone the township office if in doubt.
- Carry cash for the farm stalls and temples on the way.
- For the high-mountain trails in Jianshi and Wufeng, read the mountains guide first: the roads are the hard part.
→ The outdoors near Hsinchu · The coast and bike paths · Hsinchu's weather · Hsinchu with kids
Sources: Taiwan Tourism Administration, Shibajianshan; Hsinchu City Government releases on the Shibajianshan trail, Shibajianshan parking fees and Gaofeng Botanical Garden; Storm Media on the Qingcaohu loop, CNA and Liberty Times on Qingcaohu in 2026; Hsinchu County tourism (travel.hsinchu.gov.tw): Feifengshan, Fengqi Sunset Trail, Baoshan lake loop, Emei Lake, Shierliao, Chikeshan, Dashanbei Cherry Blossom Trail, Qilin Trail, Wuzhishan; Hsinchu County Government on Feifengshan routes; Liberty Times on the Fengqi trail rebuild (July 2026); Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area: Shishan Historic Trail, Emei Lake; Taiwan Tourism Administration, Lion's Head Mountain; Mirror Media on the Lion's Head trails (April 2026); Hsinchu County, Taiwan Tourist Shuttle routes; Liberty Times on the Zhudong bus routes. Drive times are our estimates. Checked November 2026.