New Taipei Jingualiao Fish and Fern Trail is located in Pinglin District, which is a water resource protection area. The clean streams lead to a good ecological cycle, with abundant resources of fish, birds, insects and reptiles, and in summer, fireflies fill the mountains and valleys! This is an eco-trail tour you can’t miss!

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Fish Fern Trail

Luckily, when I arrived near the Fish Fern Trail, I encountered a black kite flying low enough for me to get a couple of good shots of it for 5 or 6 minutes, as if it was looking for something to eat! Not a bad way to start the day.

My friend and I started walking at the south entrance of the Fish Fern Trail, and we climbed up about 3~4 floors, which was a little bit breathtaking ~ but after that there was basically no climbing at all, and the forest was full of trees spread out on both sides, like a green tunnel.

Dense forests surround the viewing platform, the view is blocked, but also blocked the slight drizzle, if not for the afternoon of the day to arrive, or I would rest here for a few moments ~ ~

On the way there, there were only my friend and I, and no other tourists appeared. The day I went there was a Thursday afternoon, so I think it would not be so quiet on a holiday.

It was a short walk and we soon reached the small arch bridge, which was about 1/3 of the way there. We didn’t cross the bridge right away, but the faint sound of the stream told us that the streamside was close by, and we walked to the edge of the stream by the path next to the bridge.

The stream was full of small fish, mostly smallmouth bass if I remember correctly.

I found a palm-length bird feather on the ground that was basically a raptor’s, and was wondering what kind it was…. (This creekside with no grass is a favorite drinking spot for raptors.)

This streamside is not only a favorite habitat for animals, but also a resting place for tourists, because I found some garbage on the ground…. (This is the only place on the whole trail where I found some garbage.) I can’t ask others to be a mountain cleaner, but at least you should take away your own garbage!

Back to the arch bridge to continue on, the green insects on the railings do not know what, good-looking so photographed (photo), along the road will also be large and small spider webs ~ can not accept the people will be discretion, at that time is not bitten by mosquitoes on the right (in April).

The trail went along the Jingualiao stream, and it was coming to an end very soon. I thought there would be a lot of snakes in this kind of place, so I was careful to watch out for them around my feet and on top of my head the whole way, and when we met a local after we left the trail, the local man told us right away: you’d better wear rainboots next time you come here, there are a lot of snakes ~, I think most of the streams in Taiwan are like this, and I need to be more careful.

Fish Fern Trail Route Map

There is a public toilet about 20 meters or so further south of the south side entrance, and it is quite easy to park near the toilet. I parked near the toilet that day, went in through the south side entrance, came out on the north side, and then took the asphalt road back to the toilet.

Fern Trail

The entrance to the Fern Trail is right across from the restroom I just mentioned. After I finished the Fish Fern Trail, I only spent a little time on the Fern Trail, which is similar to the Fern Trail in terms of the environment.

Firefly Ecology

Basically, as long as there is no serious light pollution in the mountain area of Pinglin, you can see fireflies. I was afraid of snakes in the trail, so I started to take photos of fireflies by the roadside, but occasionally there were cars passing by, which affected my photos, so I finally found a small park ~, I only took a few photos that I could look at on that day, and they usually start to become less and less in the hour or so after sunset.