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About Zhuilu Old Road
The Difficulty Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Zhuilu Old Road is closed due to the big earthquake in 2024. The reopening date is still unknown today in 2026. You can find more update from Taroko National Park or Hike Smart Taiwan Service.
Zhuilu Old Road (錐麓古道) is a track on the surface of the sheer cliff, right above the world-famous nature wonder, Taroko Gorge (太魯閣峽谷). The high section of the track can be around 500 m above the Highway 8. If the gorge may amaze you with the force of nature, then Zhuilu Old Road is definitely the man-made wonder that will stun you.
The road was widened in 1917 when the indigenous people were forced by Japanese authority to do this perilous job; workers abseiled down from the cliff and used dynamite to carve out the road from the hard rock.
My families and I hiked on Zhuilu Old Road in April 2015 which was a part of the trip to celebrate my accomplishment for all Baiyue (百岳 Top 100 Mountains) hikes at Shimenshan (石門山). Because of the safety concern only the eastern 3.1 k section of the trail was open to the public back then. Unfortunately even that section has been closed since the earthquake in 2024.
Basically the trail, at least that open section, was well-maintained and signed. For someone who has fear of heights, the visual excitement from the abyss and the narrow path beside the cliff may be frightening. The trail was generally safe to walk as long as you pay a reasonable level of attention, but even so, a fatal fall was not something unheard of.
To know more about Zhuilu Old Road, click the link to Taroko National Park’s website.
