Ride the Lanyang Plain from a station

The Lanyang Plain is flat and the train stops every few kilometres, so the easy way to ride Yilan is out by bike and back by train. The bikeways follow the rivers and the coast: the Dongshan River to the Traditional Arts Center, the Anong River, Meihua Lake, the Dezikou River near Jiaoxi and the coastal bikeway from Toucheng to Zhuangwei. Some links run on roads, and the results say so.

Good to knowThere is no YouBike in Yilan. Distances are one way, measured along the national cycling portal's lines; short street links from some stations aren't measured and are flagged.

Where can I ride from here?

Rides people like, ready to go

• Dongshan River from the station to the Qingshui gate and back

  23.4 km one way · North-east downstream to the Qingshui gate near the Lanyang River mouth, then back.

  Dongshan Station → Dongshan River Water Park → National Center for Traditional Arts → Qingshui sluice gate (Dongshan River north end) → National Center for Traditional Arts → Dongshan River Water Park → Dongshan Station

  The most separated ride on the plain: the portal classes nearly all of the Dongshan River line as bike-only path, past the Water Park and the Traditional Arts Center. Yilan County gives the whole two-bank bikeway as about 24 km.

  Getting back: Out and back from Dongshan Station, so one TRA bike station is enough, or rent near the station (Yilan County says several shops operate there).

• Yilan to Dongshan by the Lanyang and Dongshan rivers

  24.7 km one way · South from Yilan across the Lanyang River, east to the river mouth area, then south-west up the Dongshan River.

  Yilan Station → Lanyang River crossing, Yilan side → Erjie Station (Lanyang River crossing, 0.7 km) → Qingshui sluice gate (Dongshan River north end) → National Center for Traditional Arts → Dongshan River Water Park → Dongshan Station

  Train out to Yilan, ride back from Dongshan, both TRA bike stations. Crosses the Lanyang River on a bike-only stretch, then finishes on the Dongshan River bike-only path. Expect about 1.2 km of town streets at Yilan and about 2 km of slow lane and mixed traffic on roads near the river mouth.

  Getting back: Check the TRA bike quota and bike-train timetable first; whole bikes ride bike-service trains only, bike ticket 50% of the full fare. A bike in a proper bike bag (150 cm, 220 cm total) rides any train.

• Yilan to Dongshan via Luodong Sports Park and Meihua Lake

  25.7 km one way · South across the Lanyang River, south-west to Meihua Lake, then east along the hills to Dongshan.

  Yilan Station → Lanyang River crossing, Yilan side → Erjie Station (Lanyang River crossing, 0.7 km) → Kavalan line near Qingzhou Bridge → Luodong Sports Park → Meihua Lake → Dongshan Station

  The Kavalan multi-route between two TRA bike stations, past Luodong Sports Park and Meihua Lake (rental at both, per Yilan County), then along the foot of the hills to Dongshan. Mostly classed shared path, with mixed traffic in Yilan town and near Meihua Lake.

  Getting back: Check the TRA bike quota and bike-train timetable first; whole bikes ride bike-service trains only, bike ticket 50% of the full fare. A bike in a proper bike bag (150 cm, 220 cm total) rides any train.

• Toucheng to Yilan along the coast

  28.3 km one way · South along the coast to the river mouth, then west along the Lanyang River and north into Yilan.

  Toucheng Station (coast line, 0.8 km) → Zhu'an river mouth (coastal bikeway north end) → Yongzhen coastal area → Zhuangwei Sand Dune Ecological Park → Coastal bikeway south end (river mouth) → Lanyang River crossing, Yilan side → Yilan Station

  Train out to Toucheng, ride the coastal bikeway through the windbreak forest past Zhuangwei Sand Dune, then inland to Yilan Station. The coastal section is classed shared path; about 0.7 km at the river mouth, about 3.2 km between the coast and the Lanyang River crossing, and the last 1.2 km through Yilan town are mixed traffic.

  Getting back: Check the TRA bike quota and bike-train timetable first; whole bikes ride bike-service trains only, bike ticket 50% of the full fare. A bike in a proper bike bag (150 cm, 220 cm total) rides any train.

• Dongshan to Su'ao New under the railway

  5 km one way · South-east from Dongshan toward Su'ao.

  Dongshan Station → Su'ao New Station

  A short link between two TRA bike stations: about 2.9 km of bike-only path under the elevated railway, then 2.0 km on the county works line into Su'ao New. Add it to a Dongshan River ride to finish further south.

  Getting back: Check the TRA bike quota and bike-train timetable first; whole bikes ride bike-service trains only, bike ticket 50% of the full fare. A bike in a proper bike bag (150 cm, 220 cm total) rides any train.

• Jiaoxi to the Dezikou River and back

  23.2 km one way · East from Jiaoxi toward the coast, then back.

  Jiaoxi Station → Dezikou River bikeway, Highway 9 end → Dezikou River bikeway, east end → Dezikou River bikeway, Highway 9 end → Jiaoxi Station

  Bike-only path along the Dezikou River through fish ponds and wet fields, which Yilan County recommends for migratory birds in autumn and winter. The link from Jiaoxi is about 5 km each way on the mixed-traffic Jiaoxi loop.

  Getting back: Out and back from Jiaoxi, a TRA bike station. The Dezikou line does not join the coastal bikeway in the portal data, so a one-way ride to Toucheng is not measured.

• Yilan River: riverside park to Yuanshan and back

  8.8 km one way · West, upstream along the Yilan River toward Yuanshan, then back.

  Yilan Station → Yilan River Riverside Park → Yilan River bikeway, Yuanshan end → Yilan River Riverside Park → Yilan Station

  An easy embankment ride from Yilan town: the riverside park is open 24 hours with toilets, and a 2024 county notice keeps both Yilan River embankment tops free of cars and scooters.

  Getting back: Out and back from Yilan Station, a TRA bike station. The 1.2 km (straight line) through town to the riverside park is not described officially; use a map.

• Luodong to Dongshan via Meihua Lake

  15.5 km one way · West out of Luodong, south-west to Meihua Lake, then east to Dongshan.

  Luodong Station (not on the portal lines) → Luodong Sports Park → Meihua Lake → Dongshan Station

  Luodong and Dongshan are both TRA bike stations. From Luodong Sports Park (rental, per Yilan County) the Kavalan line follows the county's Luodong River route corridor to Meihua Lake, then the foot of the hills to Dongshan.

  Getting back: Check the TRA bike quota and bike-train timetable first; whole bikes ride bike-service trains only, bike ticket 50% of the full fare. A bike in a proper bike bag (150 cm, 220 cm total) rides any train.

Taking the train back

• TRA stations on the bike-station list (人車同行) on the Lanyang Plain: Toucheng, Jiaoxi, Yilan, Luodong, Dongshan, Su'ao New and Su'ao (Dong'ao and Nan'ao further south are also listed). Erjie, Zhongli, Sicheng, Dingpu and Xinma are not on the list. Whole bikes ride only bike-service trains, with a bike ticket at 50% of the full fare and a per-train quota; check the TRA bike quota and bike-train timetable before going.
• Any TRA train, any station (including Erjie) works if the bike is fully packed in a proper bike bag: longest side 150 cm or less, length plus width plus height 220 cm or less; plastic or cloth bags are refused. TRA may suspend this on long holidays.
• Train out, ride back works best between stations the portal lines reach: Yilan, Dongshan, Su'ao New and Jiaoxi are on or within 100 m of a line, Toucheng about 0.8 km. Measured pairs in this planner: Dongshan to Su'ao New 5.0 km, Yilan to Dongshan 24.7 km (via the Lanyang River and Dongshan River) or 25.7 km (via Meihua Lake), Toucheng to Yilan 28.3 km along the coast (plus about 0.8 km at Toucheng). All bike stations are on the same Yilan Line.
• Luodong is a TRA bike station, but no portal bikeway line comes within about 2.6 km of it; the streets to Luodong Sports Park or the Dongshan River were not measured. Su'ao Station is about 3.0 km from Su'ao New, also unmeasured.
• Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Green 18 (Zhuangwei Dune Line) runs between Yilan Station, Zhuangwei Sand Dune and Toucheng Station. It takes folding bikes only, in a bike bag, carried to your seat (no luggage hold); the operator advises against bringing one on national holidays.
• Whether buses 1787, 1788 and 1790 (Toucheng to Zhu'an), 1766 (Jiaoxi to Dezikou), 1794 and 1792 (Luodong to the Anong River) carry bikes was not confirmed. Plan to ride back. Not confirmed

Opening hours and closures

• Yilan County lists the Dongshan River bikeway and the Yilan River Riverside Park as open 24 hours.
• The coastal bikeway (Zhu'an to the river mouth) is listed by the NSA as open all year. It closed after the October 2026 typhoon (薔琵) and reopened on 2026-10-29, per the NSA's typhoon notice (last updated 2026-11-02). The Xinshui bikeway, the coastal stretch south of the Lanyang River mouth (not in this planner), is closed from 2026-10-22 until further notice.
• Zhuangwei Sand Dune Ecological Park is open 09:00 to 17:00 all year (NSA). It reopened on 2026-10-25 after the typhoon, with clean-up and works still going on.
• Meihua Lake Scenic Area is open 09:00 to 17:30 (Yilan County).
• No official opening or lighting hours were found for the Dezikou, Anong and Lanyang River lines, the Kavalan multi-route, the path under the railway to Su'ao or the Yilan River outside the riverside park. Do not publish "open 24 hours" for them. Bring front and rear lights for any ride that may end after dark. Not confirmed
• No Yilan County closure notice for the Dongshan, Yilan, Lanyang, Anong or Dezikou bikeways after the October 2026 typhoon was found on 2026-11-04, and no county page lists their current status. Riverside paths can flood or carry debris after typhoons and heavy rain; ask locally or check the county before going. Not confirmed

When is it busy?

• Meihua Lake: TVBS (2019-10-18) reported large holiday crowds on the 2.2 km lake road, rented electric vehicles colliding with people and one rider falling into a ditch, seven operators running 300 to 400 vehicles, and that the lake road and the scenic area are managed by different authorities. The current situation was not checked. News report
• Expect people walking, jogging and playing sport at the Yilan River Riverside Park and the Dongshan River Water Park, and go on a weekday morning for a calmer ride at Meihua Lake. No official counts by time of day were found. Our advice

Renting a bike

• Yilan County lists bike rental stations at Luodong Sports Park, Meihua Lake Scenic Area and the Dongshan River Water Park, says several rental shops operate around Dongshan Station and beside Meihua Lake, and the portal lists bike rental at Dongshan Station. No shop names, hours or prices were verified.
• No rental was verified at Yilan, Toucheng, Jiaoxi or Su'ao New stations or on the coastal bikeway. The portal lists 永鎮腳踏車店 at Yongzhen as a supply point with repair tools, not as a rental. Not confirmed
• Before renting, check the brakes, lights and tyres, and ask whether the price includes insurance and a helmet. Our advice

Rules on the paths

• A Yilan County notice (posted 2024-01-12) makes these embankment tops a pedestrian and bicycle area closed to cars and scooters: both Yilan River banks, both Dongshan River banks, the Luodong River right bank and both Lanyang River banks, among others.
• The portal classes parts of this network as roads shared with vehicles: the Jiaoxi loop (all mixed traffic, 混合車道), the first 1.2 km from Yilan Station, about 1 km near Meihua Lake, the road crossing of the Lanyang River mouth (slow lane, 慢車道), stretches between the Lanyang River and the coast, and about 1.9 km of the Anong line. Treat these as roads, not paths.
• Two portal entries for the coastal corridor disagree: 宜蘭濱海自行車道(溪北段) (15.00 km) is classed shared path and 宜蘭濱海自行車道 (18.10 km) mixed traffic. The county works line (宜蘭縣平原區域自行車道斷點改善工程, 171.9 km) is drawn as shared path for its whole length, including links through towns. Yilan County itself says some sections share roads with general traffic.
• A 2023 PTS report said the Yilan River, Lanyang River and coastal bikeways are not joined at the Meifu drain, and that crossing the Yilan River near its mouth means Provincial Highway 2 via Maolimuhan Bridge, with many gravel trucks; the county was evaluating a bike bridge. The current situation was not confirmed. News report
• The NSA warns of many small midges in the coastal forest: wear long sleeves or insect repellent. Yilan County suggests spring and autumn as the best riding seasons, and sun protection and plenty of water in summer.
• Wear a properly fitted helmet, carry lights and water, walk the bike across busy roads if unsure, and do not take children across the Lanyang or Yilan River mouths on Provincial Highway 2. Our advice

• Dongshan River bikeway
• Kavalan loop
• Bikes on trains

Local guideFor where to eat and stay near the bikeways, see Inside Yilan's cycling page.