Dasyueshan Forest Recreation Area

Forest Road 200 climbs from Dongshi to around two thousand six hundred metres over fifty kilometres, and birders come from around the world for it: the road passes through every forest band on the way up, and Taiwan's endemic birds are unusually easy to see from it, including the Mikado pheasant and Swinhoe's pheasant which walk out onto the tarmac at dawn and dusk. Higher up there are cypress and hemlock forest, a giant tree trail and a small lake. The recreation area covers about 3,960 hectares and draws some 200,000 visitors a year.

The landscape

• The pheasants - Mikado and Swinhoe's pheasants on the road at dawn and dusk.
• The endemic birds - most of Taiwan's endemics findable along the fifty-kilometre climb.
• The forest bands - the vegetation changing continuously with altitude up the road.
• The giant trees - a trail through old cypress near the top of the road.

When to go

October to April is the best for birds, with clearer weather and more activity. Dawn and dusk are when the pheasants come out. Summer brings afternoon cloud and rain.

Things to know

The road is fifty kilometres of switchbacks and takes two hours each way. Accommodation at the top is limited and books out. Fog and rain are frequent and can shut the whole thing down.

Nearby

Basianshan is east, and Taichung is southwest.

Key facts