Huoyanshan 火炎山

Historical Background:

Like much of the area around it, Huoyanshan was formed when the land was lifted up due to tectonic factors, but the side of the sandstone mountain has been eroded away by heavy rainfall and the Da’an River, creating a large canyon. Discoloration due to laterization (leaching and oxidation due to heavy rain) of minerals in the sediment has made the rocks near the top of the mountain here orange-red.
The Mountain at its highest point is 614 meters above sea level, and is one of Taiwan’s 100 lesser peaks (小百岳).
In 1984, the area was made into a protected nature reserve and closed off to the public due to danger from erosion. Now that it is reopened, it is a very popular hiking and bird-watching destination.
Anyone travelling north on National Freeway 1 will have a great view of the mountain on the left as they leave Taichung and head north for Miaoli.

Hours:

24/7

Price:

Free

Difficulty and Length:

• Medium difficulty
• 379 meters of elevation gain
• 6.4 KM total length (loop trail)
• 3-hour hike (for the full loop trail)

Where to stay:

We have stayed at and recommend Shokolake, a chocolate factory resort in Dahhu (Agoda here or Booking.com here). Beautiful Landscape Resort, a fish farm and resort near Nanzhuang Old Street (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), and Yuan Motel, a high-class car motel which includes a great breakfast buffet (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here). We also recommend Flying Cow Ranch, which includes cabins and camping right on the tourist ranch; you can book a room on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here. 
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Activities in Miaoli:

There are many tours and activities available in Miaoli such as Schokolake Chocolate Factory, Shangshun World, West Lake Resortopia, Suweila Manor, Baba Kengdao, Hobbit Valley, Zhuo Ye Cottage Duck Box and more on Klook here or KKday here. 

How to get there:

By Car/Scooter: Travel south on provincial highway 13 in Mioali until you reach Bogongkeng (伯公坑); at that point, you can park on the side of the road and head up Bogongkeng Village, the trail head starts at the top of the road. You can also start further down at the bottom of the hill and park at the Huoyanshan Trailhead and Parking. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. ​
Looking for scooter rental in Miaoli? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. 
By Bus: Take Hsinchu Bus 5665 from Sanyi TRA station to the Bogongkeng bus stop. You can book tickets to travel to Miaoli via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can book tickets to Miaoli via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
​By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Map:

Please see below:

Drone Video:

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360 Degree Spherical Panoramas

Check out our aerial panoramas of the mountain below.

Our Journey:

We have been to Huoyanshan twice; we just flew a drone there and crashed. The other time, I actually hiked the mountain, and it was everything I expected it to be. It was amazingly beautiful and glorious. I highly recommend this hike to anyone in Taiwan.

The second time we hiked the mountain, we stopped in Tongluo for some breakfast.

Beef danbing and soymilk are the breakfast of champions.

The first time I went, I noticed that some people parked along the side of the road and walked up or down the road in the background. The trail goes in a loop, so you don’t have to walk down the same way you walked up.

You can also park along the side of the road at the bottom here. On weekends and holidays, all the parking spaces might fill up.

6:45 AM: This is where we parked.

View of Huoyanshan from the Levee.

This is a photo I took on my first visit to fly a drone here.

Unfortunately, it was too windy, and my drone got blown off course and had to land in the sand because it ran out of battery. For the full story on what happened, check out our blog post here.

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Across the street from where we parked, there seems to be a paid parking lot.

There is a little pavilion here too.

6:46 AM: We started very early. Here was the sunrise.

6:47 PM: We get to the trailhead.

Here is a map of the trail. You can see it goes in a big loop around the mountain.

Propably an old military tower now in disuse.

We hike up the rocky trail.

Most of the trail is covered in these watermelon-sized boulders. These rocks used to be part of the riverbed, but have been pushed up by geological forces overtime.

View of Taichung through the trees.

Another view of the morning light.

6:53 AM: We made it to Huoyanshan South Peak.

After that, the trail starts to flatten out a little.

Another view of what the trail looks like after that.

6:57 AM: We reach the edge of the canyon.

First view over the Taichung plain.

Another view of Taichung, including Lipoh Discovery Land 麗寶樂園

You can see here that the steps in the trail are carefully made from stones found here.

View over National Freeway 1.

Closeup on National Freeway 1.

Further steps up the mountain.

Rockfall warning sign. I do not recommend walking in the canyon because loose rocks are everywhere.

Another view of the canyon as we climb higher. Some shrubs have started to grow on old sides of the canyon wall.

Higher view of National Freeway 1.

The trail then cuts into the forest for a bit.

Here, there is a small lookout point on top of a cliff.

View of the cliff.

View of more canyon walls.

View looking over Taichung.

Here, the trail hugs closely to the cliff.

7:05 AM: We get this view of the canyon.

We climb higher up the mountain. There are ropes on this section.

7:08 AM: First view of the main canyon.

View of the top of the canyon.

The trail then somewhat flattens, and we walk through the forest here.

7:11 AM: Another view of the canyon.

Quail spotted.

Another view, higher above the canyon.

View over Taichung.

View inside the canyon.

Horizontal view. It is hard to get the right light balance early in the morning.

A family of quails.

Onward we march through the woods.

Stopped behind a pair of uncles.

Gorgeous forest views.

Onward we walk.

7:19 AM: We reach the first-aid station.

.5KM more to the Grand Canyon.

View of the canyon through the trees.

Here, the trail moves back along the cliffside.

Here we can see the red cliffs clearly. By geologist friend told me the red color comes from iron leeching out of the soil from groundwater.

Another view of a tree’s roots slowly being eaten away by erosion.

Then the trail goes back into the forest.

Then back to near the cliff face.

7:26 AM: We get an amazing view from near the top.

View looking west toward the ocean.

Another view looking west.

View toward Taichung.

Closeup on Taichung.

View looking toward National Freeway 3.

Another view of National Freeway 3 and the HSR.

A tall and dangerous pile of stones.

Here we can see the hills of Miaoli to the north.

7:27 AM: We make it to the top of the ridge here.

Then the trail goes down a ways.

We keep following the trail down.

Pile of round stones.

Enjoying the views.

Another view of the Grand Canyon walls.

Closer view of what the walls are made of.

Another view inside the canyon.

Wide shot.

Diagonal shot of the canyon.

The Grand Canyon with Taichung in the background.

Another view of the canyon walls.

Another diagonal view of the canyon.

7:36 AM: Wide view of the main canyon.

Vertical photo of the canyon.

Photo with the cliffside. It was scary standing here.

Another view of the cliffs to the side.

A plant tries to make a living here on the cliffside.

Another vertical view of the canyon.

Horizontal view.

Photoshopped view.

This spot is where I felt more comfortable.

I then took out my drone and started flying.

View from the top of the canyon via drone.

View a bit further away.

View of the canyon floor via drone.

View north looking at Sanyi in Miaoli.

View east looking toward Zhuolan.

View looking southeast.

View looking south toward Taichung.

View looking west.

8:12 AM: I finished flying my drone, and we headed down the mountain. We did not do the circular loop like many Taiwanese people like to do; we went up and down the way we came.

Another viewpoint that is roped off.

8:39 AM: View of the trail as we headed down.

Another view of the canyon.

We got back to the car at around 9 AM, so the whole hike took about two hours. We only did half the trail, and spent a bunch of time flying a drone (like over half an hour). Then we saw this funeral along the side of the road. I just wanted to share it. If you are interested in how funerals are run in Taiwan, check out our guide here.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more hiking blogs soon.

Check out our full guide to Miaoli here.

Check out our full guide to Taiwan here.