Kaohsiung day tour 3 Trail，小長城木棧步道＆羅木斯溪步道＆Butterfly Trail。
Kaohsiung day tour 3 Trail，小長城木棧步道＆羅木斯溪步道＆Butterfly Trail。The Maolin area is rich in cultural resources and boasts unique natural wonders. This time, I specifically chose winter to observe the purple butterflies during their winter migration. As long as the weather is good, you can easily see a large number of butterflies dancing in the air! If you’re considering a day trip in the southern region, you might want to check out the three Maolin trails shared in this post.
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Purple Butterfly Serene Valley Maolin Butterfly Trail
Purple Butterfly Serene Valley is a phenomenon, not a place name (the migration of butterflies). I misunderstood it at first! Shortly after entering the Maolin Scenic Area, you can reach the parking lot for the Maolin Butterfly Trail. When I arrived that day, it was around 8:30 in the morning, and there was a slight mist in the mountain area. If you arrive a bit earlier, the combination of sunrise and mist should be super beautiful!
Right across from the parking lot, you can take the stairs up to the Butterfly Trail. The colors of the trees give off a complete summer vibe, allowing you to feel the warmth of the southern region.
A short walk will take you to the Maolin Ecological Park. The weather was excellent that day, with lots of butterflies fluttering around – it could be described as a graceful dance in the air. (Attached is a short video shot that day.)
The Purple Crow Butterflies migrate south every winter, and there are only two places in the world where this phenomenon occurs. It’s a rare natural event. The best time to observe these butterflies in the Maolin area is from November to March of the following year.
In the morning is the best time to see butterflies, and there are guides on-site. If there are a lot, you can easily capture scenes of them flying together. In the picture below, I intentionally shot against the light to capture the beautiful sunlight shining through their wings. The ecological park has hiking trails where you’ll find a ton of butterflies! Occasionally, you might encounter big bees, so it’s recommended not to wear perfume.
Butterfly Trail Google Map:
小長城木棧步道
Before reaching the 小長城木棧步道, you’ll pass through the Donna Bridge. At that moment, I felt this place was quite familiar. Later, I realized that it’s a popular spot for photographers to capture the Milky Way.
After passing through the Donna Bridge, you’ll first reach the Lungtou Mountain Recreation Area. Starting from here, you can connect to the Little Great Wall Wooden Boardwalk Trail. Going up from the parking lot, you’ll encounter an elevated pathway, and the first thing you’ll see is the green mountains!
Lucky us, it’s a sunny day!
A short walk away, there’s a little hut (on the right in the picture). They sell Aiyu jelly and drinks there. You can sit under the trees on wooden chairs. That day, I had Aiyu jelly as my lunch.
After leaving the tree where I had Aiyu jelly, I started climbing wooden stairs. Walked a short distance in this kind of forest, and only this part of the path was shaded by trees. Once past this section, it’s all under the sun.
小長城木棧步道
Among the trails in the Maolin area, I currently love the Small Great Wall Wooden Trail the most. After passing through the dense trees just now, you can quickly reach it. The wooden steps of the trail are built on the ridge, giving a feeling of the Great Wall. The view is quite good.
You can clearly see the Dona Bridge and Longtou Mountain from here.
In the Maolin area, the indigenous tribe is the Rukai tribe. The handrails are adorned with centipede totems, symbolizing their culture.
When walking along the ridge, you often spot eagles. In many places, eagles are becoming rare, but in the valleys of Maolin, they are still quite noticeable. Tried taking a few shots here, but unfortunately, the strong backlight only captured a dark silhouette.
After reaching the end of the Small Great Wall, there will be a sign pointing you in the direction of Donna Bridge. If I recall correctly, it’s just a few hundred meters away.
Under the suspension bridge is a gorge, and you can even see eagles flying here! I was on the swaying bridge, tiptoeing for half an hour to get those shots. If the railing was just a bit lower, it wouldn’t have been such a struggle.
There are also many centipede totems here.
When you reach the opposite side of the suspension bridge, there are several small pavilions for resting. This is the endpoint if you come from the Little Great Wall trail. There’s a barbecue area here, and it’s hard to resist the tempting smell of others grilling meat when you’ve only had a cup of ai-yu jelly for lunch.
小長城木棧步道Google Map:
I parked my car at the 龍頭山遊憩區, which has parking lots for both motorcycles and cars. Near the parking lot, you can spot the elevated walkway. Just climb up, and you’re on the right track. One side leads to the Longtoushan Overlook, and the other side leads to the 小長城木棧步道Trail.
- 1:First, head to the 龍頭山遊憩區 and park your car.
- 2:After parking the car, walk up the elevated pathway.
- 3:Then head towards the 小長城木棧步道Trail as indicated on the map.”
羅木斯步道
After finishing the Little Great Wall trail around 1 PM, we drove to the 羅木斯步道Trail. However, we got lost because Google Maps didn’t show us the way. I’ll provide the parking lot location at the end of the article. From the parking lot to the entrance of the trail, you’ll mostly encounter the river valley terrain like the one in the picture below (with paved roads).
In Kaohsiung, even though it’s winter, it’s still pretty hot. Surprisingly, there are a few types of trees that shed their leaves.
After a short walk, you’ll reach the entrance. There might be a few forks along the way, just ignore them. If you’re coming from the parking lot, just follow the stream, and you’ll find the entrance near the creek.
Before reaching the endpoint, you’ll pass through two suspension bridges and one arch bridge, each about one-third of the way. The surroundings are quite serene!
At the second suspension bridge, the scenery has a bit of an autumn vibe. There are quite a few yellowing leaves. These two bridges are among the few spots along the trail where you can see the valley. It’s a nice place to take a short break and enjoy the view.
I heard that these suspension bridges were built after the reconstruction following Typhoon Morakot in 2008. They have been reopened in recent years, and throughout the journey, I didn’t see any human litter. The ecology is intact, and I hope it continues to stay that way.
There’s quite a bit of time walking alongside rock walls and through bamboo groves, so be careful not to get hit on the head by the bamboo overhead.
Under the small arch bridge is the stream, surrounded by various ferns. You can tell that the humidity here is high, and there’s a wide variety of plants. Once you reach this point, you’re almost at the end. After crossing the arch bridge, you continue straight, climbing a fairly long set of stairs that might make your legs a bit tired.”
羅木斯 Waterfall is the final destination. There’s a pavilion where you can take a break. The water under the waterfall is a beautiful shade of blue-green. It took me over an hour to walk and capture photos on the way there. The return journey, on the other hand, took about half an hour, mostly downhill, so it was more relaxed.
羅木斯步道Google Map:
Google Maps couldn’t navigate here, and I had some trouble finding it. You can follow the route I took below.
- 1:First, head to 高雄市政府消防局第六大隊茂林分隊 Then, take the 羅木斯聯絡道路
- 2:The ‘羅木斯聯絡道路’ will pass through the ‘濁口溪 River.’ After crossing the bridge, make an immediate right turn! Be extra careful because there isn’t a right-turn road indicated on the map. Right turn right after crossing the bridge!
- 3:After crossing the bridge, make a right turn, and you’ll find a parking lot with restrooms.
- 4:After parking, just follow the stream and walk a short distance to reach the entrance of the 羅木斯步道Trail. Don’t worry about the forks along the way; just keep following the stream.
Affordable Accommodation Nearby
Serenity Moutainview Homestay：
Get your trip off to a great start with a stay at this property, which offers free Wi-Fi in all rooms. Conveniently situated in the Meinong District part of Kaohsiung, this property puts you close to attractions and interesting dining options. Don’t leave before paying a visit to the famous The Dome of Light. This 3-star property is packed with in-house facilities to improve the quality and joy of your stay.
Tobacco Village：
Conveniently situated in the Meinong District part of Kaohsiung, this property puts you close to attractions and interesting dining options. Don’t leave before paying a visit to the famous The Dome of Light. Rated with 4.5 stars, this high-quality property provides guests with access to restaurant and indoor pool on-site.
Meinong Yun Shanju Homestay：
Meinong Yun Shanju Homestay in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has garnered an impressive overall rating of 8.5 from satisfied guests. This charming homestay offers an idyllic escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the serene beauty of the surrounding countryside. With a strong focus on providing excellent value for money.
Taiwan car rental
