Trail Culture and Civic Stewardship in Taiwan

At 5:30 a.m. on a mountain path in Jianshi Township, Hsinchu, volunteers squat quietly beside the trail, clearing fallen stones from the night before. They are not a government maintenance crew. They are members of the Thousand Miles Trail Association (千里步道協會)—and this scene repeats across Taiwan, weekend after weekend.

Taiwan is a small island (36,000 km²) with an unusually high concentration of vertical landscape: over 268 peaks above 3,000 meters—a density rarely seen anywhere in the world. Trails here are recreational routes and also a record of cultural meaning and ecological value. From Indigenous hunting paths to Japanese-era mountain roads, and now the modern national trail system, each path carries the island’s layered history.

The rise of trail stewardship

The Thousand Miles Trail Association

The Thousand Miles Trail movement was formally launched on April 23, 2006; the association was incorporated as a legal entity on June 8, 2011.¹ It proposed a bold vision: a green network that links Taiwan’s circumference, allowing people to walk the island and meet the land on its own terms.

In 2012 it launched the “Double-Zero Policy”—zero loss of natural trails, zero growth of concrete trails—a statement born from dissatisfaction with the 1990s trend of replacing soil and stone paths with cement staircases. The association’s founder, Huang Wu-hsiung, has emphasized that trail protection should aim at living in harmony with nature rather than conquering the mountains.²

From protection to participation: citizen science

In 2024, the iTrail platform went live. By combining GPS and photo uploads, it turns every hiker into a trail observer.³ A fallen tree, illegal construction, or a trapped animal can be reported in real time. In its first year, iTrail collected more than 15,000 reports—data that now informs policy and restoration priorities.

Taiwan Trail Month: a national civic ritual

From June 6 to June 30, Taiwan Trail Month mobilizes citizens to walk local paths and conduct environmental surveys. Participants record trail material, width, slope, and nearby ecology, then upload findings to a shared database. It is, in effect, a nationwide “health check” of trail conditions.

In 2023 alone, over 3,000 volunteers surveyed nearly 500 trails—an amount of data that would otherwise require years of professional fieldwork.

The value of ten-year comparisons

Taipei, New Taipei, and Taichung have completed “ten-year surface audits.” Comparing 2010 to 2020, the share of concrete trails rose from 35% to 52%, while natural surfaces fell from 48% to 31%. These figures pushed local governments to incorporate the Double-Zero Policy into their trail-construction direction.

Taiwan’s diverse trail systems

High mountains: challenge and awe

Yushan, Xueshan, and Qilai Nan-Hua are sacred destinations for hikers. These trails require permits and strict capacity control to protect fragile alpine ecosystems. Maintenance is expensive—materials often require helicopter transport—making hiker discipline essential. Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics matter intensely here: every footprint or piece of waste can ripple through delicate habitats.

Mid-elevation mountains: the heart of Taiwan’s hiking culture

Between 1,000 and 3,000 meters, Taiwan’s mid-mountains offer rich forests, moderate climate, and accessible wilderness. Trails like Daba Jianshan, the Hehuan peaks, and Alishan’s trail network are common entry points for hikers and outdoor education programs.

Suburban hills: urban green backyards

For most citizens, trails like Xiangshan, Hushan, and Jiantan Mountain form the everyday interface with nature. These low-elevation paths are crucial for health, family outings, and community life. The challenge is balancing accessibility with ecological preservation.

Historic routes: footprints of migration and memory

Taiwan’s historic trails record the hardships of early settlement and preserve traces of exchange between different peoples.

The Tamsui–Kavalan Trail (淡蘭古道) reconnects Taipei and Yilan through three main routes—official, civilian, and tea roads—reviving trade and migration history.⁴ In recent years, the New Taipei City government has worked with civic groups to restore the trail in sections, allowing more people to experience the paths once walked by earlier generations.

Raknus Selu Trail (樟之細路) traces the old camphor economy and links Hakka, Indigenous, and Han settlement histories across western foothills. Raknus Selu functions as a cultural corridor connecting Hakka heritage, Indigenous culture, and Han settlement history.

The Shan-Hai-Zan National Greenway (山海圳國家綠道) runs from Yushan to Taijiang National Park, crossing a full spectrum of ecosystems in a single journey.

The culture of trail volunteers

Taiwan’s trail maintenance evolved from occasional cleanups to a deep civic movement. More than 200 trail-adoption groups now exist, ranging from neighborhood associations and hiking clubs to corporate volunteer teams. Their work goes far beyond trash collection: volunteers learn basic trail engineering, ecological monitoring, and even trail planning.

The Thousand Miles Trail Association offers professional training in “trail studies,” restoration methods, and ecological surveys, elevating volunteers from well-meaning helpers to skilled stewards.

Leave No Trace, Taiwan style

LNT began in the U.S., but Taiwan’s high humidity, unstable geology, and dense hiking population require local adaptations. Food waste decomposes slowly and can attract macaques; unstable terrain demands careful campsite selection; and high trail traffic makes respect for other users essential. Practices like “pack out all food waste” and rotating wild-camping sites are now common norms.

Technology and predictive stewardship

Beyond iTrail, GPS tracking, drones, and environmental sensors are increasingly used to monitor trail health. Researchers are experimenting with predictive models by combining weather, geological, and usage data—anticipating where damage will occur and preventing costly collapses or accidents before they happen.

Challenges ahead

Climate change

Extreme weather events are increasing, leading to more landslides, trail erosion, and vegetation shifts. Future trail design must emphasize climate resilience: better drainage, flexible maintenance plans, and rapid response protocols.

Generational renewal

Many experienced volunteers are now over sixty. Sustaining the movement depends on bringing younger people in—who often contribute skills in digital outreach, social media, and technology. The next-phase challenge is combining the older generation's mountain experience with the younger generation's digital tools.

International exchange

Taiwan has begun collaborating with Japan’s Michinoku Coastal Trail and South Korea’s Jeju Olle Trail, sharing management strategies and ecological ethics. Taiwan's trail management experience is gradually drawing attention within the Asia-Pacific trail community.

Conclusion: trails as an ethic of place

Taiwan’s trail culture expresses core values: respect for nature, civic participation, professional care, and community collaboration. From the Double-Zero Policy to iTrail citizen reporting, Taiwan’s trails are not just paths—they are collective promises.

Every trail is a story, every footprint a commitment. When we walk these paths, we are not only moving our bodies—we are extending a cultural tradition and practicing an environmental responsibility.

Taiwan's trail culture shows one thing: environmental protection can be carried out by every person who loves this land, without waiting for government or experts. In an era when people are increasingly distant from nature, trails offer an opportunity to reconnect, and preserve precious natural assets for future generations.

The Thousand Miles Trail Association emphasizes that trail stewardship aims at learning to coexist with the mountains—this is perhaps the most core spirit of Taiwan's trail culture.

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