Taoyuan Tourism

Who says you must go up to the high mountains to see the magnificent autumn colors? Let us introduce you a popular low-altitude destination for fall leaves in the northern Taiwan, Shihmen Reservoir. When autumn turns into winter, mountains and forests get embellished by the fiery-red leaves on thousands of maple trees. As you walk along the trail and immerse yourself in the amazing fall foliage that can be comparable to that at high altitudes, your fatigue induced by hiking will soon be relieved.
 
Entering the region of Shihmen Reservoir from Gaoxian (High Line) Toll Station, tourists will first see rows of tall maple trees extending all the way as if a green tunnel. Along the lakeside, hikers keep coming and going. After passing by the Tiehyuan equipped with simple children's facilities and the eight-square Lansheng Pavilion to overlook Shihmen Dam, tourists can switch to the Maplewood Trail where maple trees above 30 years take on autumn colors in late autumn and stunningly beautiful butterflies fly and dance over the field! Also, tourists can step into the Rotary Pavilion to overlook the reflection of the red leaves in the surface of the rear pool of Shihmen Reservoir that creates a fascinating display of tranquil beauty. The stone steps in the Green Maple Park can be tourists' another destination to appreciate not only maple forests but also plum blossoms, each of which presents unique scenery in autumn and winter.
 
To keep moving forward and pass by the landmark bearing the inscription "Magnificent Views of Shihmen" and Yishange, tourist now come to Songtai Observation Pavilion, the best scenic lookout, from which they can have a marvelous panoramic view of the spillway and the Shihmen Dam from an altitude of 270m! If you are lucky enough to see the reservoir discharge, the tremendous water flow going through the dam is definitely worth it! Xizhou Park that is about 450m away from Pinglin Toll Station has a lotus pond, a valentine's bridge and a pedestrian trail that goes up and down with the terrain. Along the trail are a wide variety of trees, lush green lawns and gorgeous and agreeable views of the rear pool. On weekends, many visitors have a picnic here to enjoy their leisure time. Besides the Maplewood Trail, Green Maple Trail and the trail in Xizhou Park mentioned above, there are trails in the Katang Forest Park and Nanyuan Ecological Park for tourists to take a stroll and admire the views of Shihmen Reservoir.