Elephant Mountain (象山), Xiangshan in Mandarin, is the hill right behind Taipei 101, and its trail is the city's favorite short hike. It is mostly stone steps, steep but short, and the reward is the postcard view: Taipei 101 rising out of Xinyi District, close enough to feel you could touch it. It is free and open around the clock.
- Hours Open 24 hours
- Entry Free
- Trail About 1.5 km of hiking trail (about 2.3 km in all); the hill is 183 m high; the full walk takes about 1 hour 40 minutes
- MRT Xiangshan Station (Red Line, R02), the end of the line
The climb
From Xiangshan Station it is a short walk through the neighborhood to the trailhead, then up a long flight of stone stairs through the woods. The first viewing platforms come quickly, and each one looks a little higher over Taipei 101.
The famous spot is the Six Giant Rocks (六巨石): big sandstone boulders where everyone climbs up for the photo of Xinyi District and the tower. You don't have to go any higher than that, but the trail does carry on along the ridge if you want a longer walk.
The hill is sandstone, with tawny cliffs and big rocks along the path, and it is good fern country: the city's tourism office says it has more Taiwanese cibotium and flying spider-monkey tree ferns than anywhere else in Taipei.
When to go
Sunset is the favorite: go up in daylight, watch the sky change, and stay for the city lights coming on. Sunrise is the other good time, with the sun coming up behind Taipei 101 and the skyscrapers of Xinyi.
Good to know: the steps are steep and humid for most of the year. Bring water, wear shoes with grip, and give yourself time; there's no rush once you reach the rocks.
Make an afternoon of it: climb at sunset, then take the MRT one stop to Taipei 101, or two stops to Xinyi Anhe for dinner at Linjiang Street Night Market. → Night markets · Xinyi District
Right now: the Geotechnical Engineering Office is renovating parts of the Elephant Mountain trail from July 20, 2026 to April 13, 2027. Closed sections are off limits while the work goes on, so follow the signs on the day. → Hikes from the MRT
Sources
Hours, trail length, height, walking time, the Six Giant Rocks, the ferns and the nearest MRT station from Taipei Travel: Xiangshan (Mt. Elephant) Hiking Trail, which lists the Taipei City Geotechnical Engineering Office as the trail's administrator. Checked October 2026.