- Length
- 15 kmSource and notes below
- Route shape
- Out and back
- Surface
- Paved
- Traffic
- Path with road sections
- Level
- Easy
- Riding time
- About 2 h 10 min at an easy 14 km/h there and back, not counting stops Estimate ride time
- Families
- Families: with care
- Climbing
- Not measuredNo official figure, so none given
- Start
- Yilan Station (TRA)
About the lengthYilan County's bikeway feature (updated 2026-08-18): the right-bank bikeway runs about 15 km from Yuanshan Park past the Yilan River Riverside Park to the river mouth. This is the one-way length of the path, not a ride distance. Yilan County gives about 17 km for the whole Yilan River bikeway: about 15 km on the right bank plus about 2 km on the left bank, from Tongle Village to Yongjin No. 1 Bridge. The county's Yilan River Riverside Park page also says about 15 km, linking the park upstream to Yuanshan Park. A 2015 Water Resources Agency newsletter gives 12 km from Yuanshan Park to Zhongshan Bridge, an older and shorter stretch. Most riders start in the city and choose their own turnaround point, so the distance you ride depends on you.
Why these labels
Traffic and path type: Path part: the bikeway runs on top of the river embankment. In a notice posted 2024-01-12, Yilan County's Industry and Tourism Department named both Yilan River embankment tops as a pedestrian and bicycle area closed to cars and scooters. The Yilan River Riverside Park section is a busy sports park, so expect people walking and jogging. Road part: getting from Yilan Station to the river uses city streets; no official page describes that link. Crossing the river near its mouth is not simple: a 2023 PTS report said the Yilan River, Lanyang River and coastal bikeways are not joined at the Meifu drain, and crossing from the right bank to the left bank means a detour via Maolimuhan Bridge on Provincial Highway 2, which carries many gravel trucks.
Families: The embankment top is closed to cars and scooters by county notice and is flat, which suits children. Getting there from Yilan Station means riding or walking city streets, and the park section is shared with many people on foot, so younger children need an adult close by on both.
The Yilan River curves around the north side of Yilan City. Yilan County built a bikeway on its embankments: about 15 km on the right bank from Yuanshan Park, past the Yilan River Riverside Park, to the river mouth, plus about 2 km on the left bank.
The Yilan River Riverside Park stretches about 33 hectares from Ximen Bridge to Yixing Bridge, with lawns, sports grounds and riverside walks. Under Qinghe Bridge a ceramic mural shows life in old Yilan town. The county also points to the site of the former Yuanshan Shrine along the route and to the West Embankment Evening View (西堤晚眺), one of the Eighteen Views of Lanyang.
The embankment top is a pedestrian and bicycle area that cars and scooters may not enter, according to a county notice. At the river mouth the path meets the coastal and Lanyang River bikeway systems, and the county says it also links via the Dahu area to the Shenzhou Avenue bikeway.
Who it suits
Suits anyone staying in Yilan City who wants an easy hour or two by the river, and riders arriving by train with their own bike. Rental near Yilan Station is not verified, so visitors without a bike should sort one out first. Riders wanting a long car-free day are better served by the Dongshan River loop.
The route
A ride plan, in order
- Leave Yilan Station and make your way north through town to the Yilan River Riverside Park on Huanhe Road.
- Stop at Qinghe Bridge to see the ceramic mural of old Yilan underneath.
- Ride upstream on the right-bank embankment toward Yuanshan Park and the former Yuanshan Shrine site, or downstream toward the river mouth.
- Turn around when you have ridden half the distance you want, and return the same way to the park and the station.
Opening hours and closures
Opening hours and closuresYilan County lists the Yilan River Riverside Park as open 24 hours. No closure notice for the Yilan River bikeway was found on 2026-11-04. Riverside paths can close or carry debris after typhoons; check before riding.
Getting there without a car
- Take TRA to Yilan Station. The national cycling portal's Kavalan multi-route starts on the station's front plaza and lists Yilan Station as a bike-and-rail transfer station with toilets, drinking water, food, first aid and repair tools.
- From the station, ride or walk north through town to the Yilan River Riverside Park on Huanhe Road (環河路). The street route and its distance are not described on any official page; use a map.
- Yilan Station is on TRA's list of stations open to unbagged bikes, so you can bring a full-size bike on trains with bike places.
Bringing your own bike: Taiwan Railway: a bike fully packed in a proper bike bag (longest side up to 150 cm, length plus width plus height up to 220 cm, no plastic or cloth sacks) can ride any train as hand luggage; TRA may suspend this on long holidays. An unbagged bike needs a bike ticket on a train with bike places, between stations on TRA's list. In Yilan County the listed stations are Toucheng, Jiaoxi, Yilan, Luodong, Dongshan, Su'ao and Su'ao New. Check bike places for your train on TRA's quota search first.
Renting a bike
Not verified. No official source found today names a bike rental near Yilan Station or at the Yilan River Riverside Park, and the portal does not list bike rental among Yilan Station's facilities. There is no YouBike in Yilan County yet.
Confirm hours, rates and availability directly with the provider. Cycle.tw does not take bookings.
Toilets, water and food
Yilan River Riverside Park: open 24 hours, with public toilets and parking (Yilan County; park phone 03-9505544). Yilan Station has toilets, water, food and repair tools (national cycling portal). Water, shade and toilets along the rest of the embankment are not listed.
Safety and conditions
- The park section is shared with walkers, joggers and sports crowds. Slow down and ring before passing.
- Town streets between Yilan Station and the river carry cars and scooters. Walk the bike if unsure.
- Do not plan to cross to the other bank near the river mouth with children: a 2023 PTS report said the crossing uses Provincial Highway 2 with gravel trucks.
- Yilan County advises sun protection and plenty of water in summer. The embankment has little shade outside the park, so carry water.
- After typhoons or heavy rain, riverside paths can flood or be closed. Check Yilan County notices first.
- 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
Yilan County says spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for riding, and highlights April for the green riverbanks. In summer, watch the sun and drink often.
Nearby and related
Emergency: 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance. From a mobile phone, 112 also reaches emergency services.
Sources
- Yilan bikeway system: 7 themed routes over 80 km (Yilan County Government)
- Yilan River Riverside Park: Ximen Bridge to Yixing Bridge, 33 ha, about 15 km bikeway linking upstream to... (Yilan County Government)
- Both Yilan River embankment tops, both Dongshan River tops, Luodong River right-bank top, both Lanyang... (Yilan County Government, Industry and Tourism Department)
- Yilan River bikeway 12 km from Yuanshan Park to Zhongshan Bridge (older figure) (Water Resources Agency e-newsletter)
- Yilan River, Lanyang River and coastal bikeway systems not joined at Meifu drain (PTS News)
- Kavalan multi-route 50.50 km starts at Yilan Station front plaza (MOTC national cycling portal)
- TRA bike bag rules: 150 cm, 220 cm total, no plastic or cloth bags (Taiwan Railway Corporation)
- TRA unbagged bike stations include Toucheng, Jiaoxi, Yilan, Luodong, Dongshan, Su'ao, Su'ao New and Fulong (Taiwan Railway Corporation)
Checked November 2026 Next review due February 2027.
Printed from https://cycle.tw/routes/yilan-river-bikeway/