Alishan Highway Climb (Provincial Highway 18)

Length

55.2 kmSource and notes below

Route shape

One way

Surface

Surface not stated

Traffic

Road shared with traffic

Level

Challenging

Families

Not a family ride

Climbing

Not measuredNo official figure, so none given

Start

Chukou Visitor Center, Fanlu Township

Finish

Alishan Forest Recreation Area

No official route line is published for this exact ride yet, so we don't draw one. Use the official map linked above.

About the lengthTourism Administration (then Tourism Bureau) guide "Cycling Taiwan: Great Rides in the Bicycle Kingdom", February 2013: Provincial Highway 18 Competition Route, Chukou Visitor Center to Shizhuo to Alishan Forest Recreation Area, 55.2 km. The 55.2 km figure is from a 2013 publication and has not been restated on a current official page found today. Highway Bureau closure notices from August 2025 (as reported by NOWnews) place Chukou at km 34 of Highway 18 and the Alishan end of the controlled section at km 88. Riders starting in Chiayi city ride further; no official page gives that distance. The national portal's "Chiayi Central Cross" route (22135120001000, 92.1 km) is a different line from Dongshi on the coast and does not follow the Chukou to Alishan climb, so it is not used here.

In 2013 the Tourism Administration (then the Tourism Bureau) published a guide to 26 bikeways in Taiwan's national scenic areas. Twenty-five were family rides; one, in the Alishan National Scenic Area, was the "Provincial Highway 18 Competition Route": Chukou Visitor Center, Shizhuo, Alishan Forest Recreation Area, 55.2 km.

This is a road ride, not a bike path. Provincial Highway 18 is the Alishan Highway, the main road up the mountain, so expect cars, tour buses and scooters the whole way.

The Highway Bureau closes the upper road pre-emptively when heavy rain is forecast and after rockfalls. Check road status on the day.

Who it suits

Fit, experienced road cyclists who are comfortable on mountain highways with buses and scooters, and who can handle a long descent. Not for beginners, children or anyone on a heavy rental bike.

The route

A ride plan, in order

1. Start at Chukou Visitor Center (Highway 18 km 34 on Highway Bureau notices).
2. Climb Provincial Highway 18 through Fushan (km 68.5 on Highway Bureau notices) towards Shizhuo.
3. Continue past Shizhuo to the Alishan Forest Recreation Area.
4. Plan the return before you start: ride down the same road or arrange transport.

Opening hours and closures

Opening hours and closuresNo gate hours on the road. The Highway Bureau closes Highway 18 sections pre-emptively in heavy rain; on 3 August 2025 it closed Fushan to Alishan (km 68.5 to 88) from 18:00 and Chukou to Fushan (km 34 to 68.5) from 20:00, reviewing reopening the next morning. Entry rules and fees for cyclists at the Alishan Forest Recreation Area are not verified.

Getting there without a car

• TRA to Chiayi Station, which is on TRA's list of stations for unbagged bikes; the national portal lists Chiayi Station as a bike-and-rail transfer station with toilets, water, food and repair.
• HSR to Chiayi Station with the bike packed (wheels off, in a bag or case). The 2013 guide suggests the BRT bus from HSR Chiayi to the TRA station.
• The national portal suggests county buses or coaches from Chiayi Station to stops along the Alishan Highway, and lists parking at Chukou Visitor Center. Whether these buses carry bikes is not verified.

Bringing your own bike: Taiwan Railway: a bike fully bagged (longest side up to 150 cm, total up to 220 cm) rides any train; unbagged bikes only on bike-service trains between listed bike stations, and Chiayi is on that list. THSR takes packed bikes only. Getting back down by bus with a bike is not verified; plan to ride down or arrange your own transport.

• Bike rules on each train and metro

Renting a bike

Not verified. No official source lists road-bike rental for this climb.

Confirm hours, rates and availability directly with the provider. Cycle.tw does not take bookings.

• How to rent a bike in Taiwan

Toilets, water and food

Chukou Visitor Center is the start (2013 guide; the national portal lists parking there). No official source opened today lists water, food or repair points along the climb itself. Carry enough water and food, and spare tubes and tools.

Safety and conditions

• Provincial Highway 18 is shared with cars, tour buses and scooters. Ride single file, keep right, and use front and rear lights, especially in tunnels and fog.
• Check the Highway Bureau's real-time road site (168.thb.gov.tw) before you start; rain and rockfall close the road at short notice.
• Do not start if heavy rain or a typhoon is forecast for the mountains.
• The descent is long. Carry a warm layer and a rain jacket, and check your brakes before you go.
• The Tourism Administration describes this as a challenging ride; make sure your fitness matches it.
• Check the Central Weather Administration forecast before you go. Heavy rain, typhoons and earthquakes close paths, river parks and roads, sometimes for weeks.
• Wear a properly fitted bike helmet, whatever the law says for your bike.

When to go

Dry days with no heavy-rain warning for the mountains. Start early so you are off the upper road before afternoon weather sets in and before dark.

Nearby and related

• Puzi River Bikeway
• When to ride: weather by month and events
• Rent by bike type

Emergency: 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance. From a mobile phone, 112 also reaches emergency services.

Printed from https://cycle.tw/routes/alishan-highway-18/

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