Mt. Jade: Main, West & North Peaks D1 Waypoint
23 Dec 2025 14 waypoints 29 photos 12.65 km
D1 Itinerary
The trail to Paiyun Lodge is 8.5K in total, with two pavilions and two eco-toilets along the way:
- At 1.5K: Monroe Pavilion. This time, on the Tataka forest road near the pavilion, I saw sika deer feeding both going and coming back — approach slowly and they'll move off on their own; please don't feed or harm these protected animals.
- At 1.7K: the first eco-toilet
- Before 5K: the second eco-toilet
- After 5K: Dead Forest Rest Pavilion
As for photo spots, quite a few people choose Photo-op Rock at Waypoint 4, around 2.25K, for panoramic shots or portraits. Not long after Dead Forest Rest Pavilion, the trail starts winding steeply upward; after a steady, gradual climb you reach the cliff section around 6.75K. Since there are 82 bridges before Paiyun Lodge in total, if you're not sure where you are, check the number on the bridge you just crossed to see how close you are. Once you hit bridge No. 82 near Waypoint 10, you'll reach Paiyun Lodge within ten minutes.
Mt. Jade West Peak
If you're planning to watch the sunset from Mt. Jade West Peak, remember to bring a headlamp before setting out, so you're not caught in the dark heading back to Paiyun Lodge.
From Paiyun Lodge, heading northwest past the Paiyun Ranger Station takes you onto the Mt. Jade West Peak trail, which continues past the peak itself to the West Peak Mountain God Shrine — about 2.2K one way. Not long after the ranger station, you can cut up to the right of the trail to a little hidden spot with radio antenna equipment and 180-degree views, as marked at Waypoint 15 — if the weather's good, it's worth stopping to shoot photos there before continuing to the West Peak.
The West Peak trail is a single line, so there's no way to get lost; there are only a few ropes to help hikers lean into the rock face, and the rest of the bigger pulls can be managed with hands and feet. Eventually you reach Mt. Jade West Peak at Waypoint 13 — note that this peak only has a marker sign, with no triangulation point in sight. The sign on the peak points the way to the West Peak Mountain God Shrine, about 0.1K away, the highest shrine in all of Taiwan — reached with just a short descent, and worth a photo.
If you reach the West Peak during the longer daylight hours of summer, I'd suggest watching the sunset there before heading back to Paiyun Lodge. When I went, it was already winter, so sunset came early and getting back to Paiyun Lodge would have meant hiking in the dark; the weather that day was also switching between clear and overcast, so from the start I decided to just tag Mt. Jade West Peak and its shrine and then turn back.
Trail Log
01 Mt. Jade Trailhead (Tatajiaanbu)
3,525 m2,612↓34 min 1.60 km ↑204 m ↓21 m
02 Monroe Pavilion
3,525 m2,612↓2 min 60 m ↑15 m
03 Eco-toilet
3,525 m2,612↓13 min 490 m ↑30 m
04 Photo-op RockMentioned in text
3,525 m2,612↓8 min 460 m ↑23 m
05 Turn left and climb up toward Yushan Front Peak
3,525 m2,612↓39 min 2.13 km ↑178 m
06 Eco-toilet
3,525 m2,612↓5 min 70 m
07 Dead Forest Rest Pavilion
3,525 m2,612↓25 min 870 m ↑107 m
08 Land boundary marker
3,525 m2,612↓14 min 700 m ↑54 m
09 Cliff section
3,525 m2,612↓35 min 1.49 km ↑145 m
10 82 wooden bridges in totalMentioned in text
3,525 m2,612↓8 min 260 m ↑62 m
11 Paiyun Lodge
3,525 m2,612↓2 h 57 min 2.39 km ↑147 m ↓44 m
13 Mt. Jade West PeakMentioned in text
3,525 m2,612↓6 min 0 m
14 Mountain God Shrine
3,525 m2,612↓52 min 2.12 km ↑58 m ↓130 m
15 Secret SpotMentioned in text
3,525 m2,612
↓5 min 140 m ↓26 m
End of record15:45 3402 m 12.65 km Paiyun Lodge
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