Snow Mountain (雪山 or Xueshan) towers 3,886 m (12,749 ft) above sea level, making it the second tallest mountain in Taiwan, after Yushan.
The aptly named mountain tends to get a lot of snow in winter. To get the full “Snow Mountain” experience, I did this hike at the height of winter in Taiwan, and boy, we got a ton of snow!
Climbing Snow Mountain is not easy, especially in winter, so I recommend going with a guided group like I did.
There is also a lot of confusion about this mountain. Many visitors mistakenly call another mountain in Taiwan, Hehuanshan, “Snow Mountain” because it’s the easiest place to see snow in Taiwan. But that’s not its correct name.
Seeing snow at Snow Mountain is not so easy. You’ll need to do a serious hike with a lot of planning require. But you’re about to conquer some of the toughest aspects of planning by reading this guide!
Snow Mountain Introduction
The peak of Snow Mountain is technically in Taichung city in northern Taiwan, but a long ways from the Taichung city center.
It is very close to the borders of Miaoli, Hsinchu, and Yilan, and typically accessed from Wuling Farm, a famous flower-viewing spot in the mountains of Yilan.
This awe-inducing peak goes by many names. The Mandarin name 雪山 literally means Snow Mountain and can be transliterated as Xueshan, Hsuehshan, or Syueshan.
In the Qing dynasty, Westerners called it Mount Sylvia. The Japanese colonists (who were the first to climb it) called it Tsugitakayama (“second-highest mountain”), while Taiwan’s Atayal Indigenous people call it Sekoan.
Snow Mountain is in Shei-Pa National Park, the northernmost of the country’s three high-mountain national parks (along with Yushan and Taroko). The “Shei” is the name yet another way to spell 雪, while the “Pa” refers to the 霸 in the park’s other iconic peak, Dabajianshan (大霸尖山).
Snow Mountain is, unsurprisingly, one of the country’s most popular high mountain climbs.
While it doesn’t get the same tourist crowds as Yushan, it is equally desirable among local peak-baggers, every bit as beautiful, and requires just as much planning.
Currently, hiking Snow Mountain is a little more complicated due to the closure and major renovation of 369 Lodge (Sanliujiu Lodge or 三六九山莊), the second cabin on the mountain and staging point for sunrise ascents.
A quota of only 24 hikers per day can camp at the lodge, and only by booking the regular (30-day advance) permit.
Snow Mountain Hike Key Info and Itinerary
Here’s a timeline of what you need to do before your hike:
- 6 Months Before: Book an organized hike with Parkbus Taiwan, Taiwan Outdoors, and Taiwan Adventures. Or:
- 4 Months Before: Advanced Foreigner Permit Application (not recommended because you don’t get a spot in the camp at 369 Lodge)
- 30 Days Before: Regular Permit Application (my most recommended way for DIY hikers right now). Either way, the permit is free.
- Before hike: Confirm cabin/camp bookings (pay in advance or on site), order tent/sleeping bag/food package (TWD 1600) at 369 Lodge by emailing here, prepare gear including sleeping bag for Qika Lodge, food, and crampons for winter hike (January to March), figure how to get to hike.
And here’s what a typical Snow Mountain hiking itinerary (3D2N) looks like:
- Day 1: Travel to Wuling Farm / Snow Mountain Trailhead, hike (one hour) to Qika Lodge (2460m), stay in lodge overnight to acclimatize
- Day 2: Hike from Qika Cabin to Snow Mountain East Peak to 369 Lodge (3150m), sleep in tent at the lodge
- Day 3: Wake super early, hike through Black Forest to Snow Mountain peak for sunrise, then all the way down the mountain
Some people do this is a 2D1N hike, skipping the Qika cabin stay and only staying at 369 Lodge. For that, you’d need to be able to reach the trailhead early and be confident (from past experiences) that you can handle this amount of fast elevation gain (personally, I can’t).
And some truly experienced hikers do Snow Mountain peak as a single day ascent from Qika Cabin (starting around midnight to 2 AM and taking up to 20 hours), but I don’t recommend that, especially in winter, unless you are very experienced.
Here’s a detailed map of the Snow Mountain Trail and the AllTrails entry for it.
Snow Mountain vs. Yushan
I’ve climbed Snow Mountain once and Yushan twice. While it’s tough to make a perfect comparison because I had such different weather conditions on each hike, I can still speak to several similarities and differences.
Similarities
Yushan and Snow Mountain are similar heights (Snow Mountain is only 66 meters shorter) and their trails are similar in length, difficulty, and time required.
Yushan’s Main Peak Trail is 24.3 kilometers (return) or 19.5 kilometers if you take the shuttle bus to and from the trailhead. Meanwhile, Snow Mountain’s trail is 21.8 kilometers (return).
Extremely fit hikers can bag either peak is a long single-day ascent. But the majority of hikers do either hike as a two-day hike, sleeping in a hut/camp on the mountain, and ascending the peak for sunrise.
For both hikes, it is also strongly recommended to spend one night acclimatizing near the trailhead before starting, which usually turns both into a 3D2N venture.
Both hikes require a national park entry permit, which includes a stay at the hut/camp on the mountain.
Both hikes also require additional snow/ice climbing equipment in winter become more difficult climbs at that time.
Both hikes can be reached by public transportation, but the bus times are very limited. And this, both hikes are much easier overall if you go with an organized group.
Differences
While the two hikes feature similarly dramatic Taiwanese alpine scenery, they aren’t exactly the same.
Snow Mountain feels wilder overall and has a few distinct features, like the Black Forest (黑森林) and Snow Mountain Cirque (雪山圈谷).
Regarding difficulty, Yushan can be a tough, long hike for beginners, but in terms of technical climbing, it’s actually a relatively easy hike, especially for experienced climbers.
In winter, it becomes more difficult. It can become slippery and sometimes gets snow. There are even sometimes fatalities (often inexperienced hikers, since it attracts many of them).
By comparison, Snow Mountain is a just a touch more difficult overall, but the national park system still rates both as Grade 3. It has a little more scrambling over uneven terrain and is steeper in parts. In winter, like Yushan, it becomes even more difficult due to the possibility of large amounts of snow.
Snow Mountain has fewer fatalities, but it also tends to attract fewer and more experienced hikers. Shortly before I write this, two people died on Snow Mountain from hyperthermia, not from falling.
While Yushan has a cozy lodge on the mountain, Snow Mountain’s 369 Lodge is currently undergoing a lengthy renovation, so hikers need to either stage summits from a lower (and less ideal lodge) or score one of only 24 camping spots at 369 Lodge – an added layer of planning for the next few years.
Because fewer people do Snow Mountain, it is easier to get a permit, even with fewer permits available. Like Yushan, there’s an advance quota of permits for foreign tourists (local expats/residents don’t qualify), but this doesn’t get you a spot at 369 Lodge so I don’t recommend it.
You only need to apply for one permit (national park entry) for Snow Mountain, unlike Yushan, which requires an additional police mountain entry permit (see my guide to applying for the Yushan permit).
Visiting Snow Mountain without Hiking
It is possible to get close to Snow Mountain without doing any serious hiking, but you won’t be able to see snow up close and you won’t be able to see the mountain’s peak.
From Taipei, you can do a day trip to Shei-Pa Leisure Farm (see on Klook) in Hsinchu, which is just outside Shei-Pa National Park and has distant views of the Snow Mountain Range. In winter, you may be able to see snowy peaks, but from far away.
You can also take Taiwan Tourism Shuttle #8 (Guanwu Route) or hire a private driver from Hsinchu to Guanwu National Forest Recreation Area (read about it here), which is just inside the national park and also has views of the mountain range. Stay at Guanwu Villa (see on Agoda / Trip).
To visit Snow Mountain from the east, as hikers do, take a bus or train to Yilan then a bus from there to Wuling Farm (I’ll cover this in more detail below).
Wuling Farm is known for flower viewing throughout the year, and especially cherry blossoms, which peak in the second half of February.
Some visitors to Wuling Farm even drive or hike (2.5 hours) to the Snow Mountain trailhead (here), which has a lodge with snacks/drinks and a beautiful reflecting pond, which is especially still at night (see photo below).
But please note, you can’t actually see Snow Mountain from Wuling Farm or the trailhead, and you won’t see any snow there, either. The area has lovely scenery, but it’s mainly for flower viewing.
The easiest way to get to Wuling Farm for flower viewing is on an organized day trip from Taipei (see on Klook).
When to Hike Snow Mountain
Late spring to autumn (May to October) is the classic high mountain hiking season in Taiwan. During this time, it can be quite hot at the start of the trek, but you’ll still need warm clothing for the camp and peak.
May sometimes brings persistent rain (Plum Monsoon), while from July to October, typhoons can cause trip cancellations. Therefore, June is a sweet spot that I would consider the best time to go.
If you want to go in winter (officially January 1 to March 31) to experience the snow like I did, you have to be aware that the hike becomes quite a bit more difficult.
You are likely to face freezing temperatures, slippery trails, and trekking through deep snow at high elevation. It’s also worth noting that seeing snow is not 100% guaranteed.
I especially recommend doing this hike with an organized group in winter, as I did. Besides getting the permit for you, they will also organize the camping gear, food, crampons and other necessary equipment for you. It’s also just a lot safer.
From around mid-February to the start of March, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom at Wuling Farm (near the trailhead), access to the area becomes more difficult.
During those couple weeks, they won’t let private cars into Wuling Farm, so going there by bus from Yilan will be the only option.
It could also be very difficult to get a spot during Lunar New Year. Try to avoid these two peak times if you can.
Going with an Organized Group
While you are allowed to hike Snow Mountain solo, going with an organized group will make everything much easier.
The organizer will handle your permit application (complicated for first-timers), drive you there (taking the bus can be difficult, time consuming, and stressful due to limited times), and provide essential camping, food, and winter gear like crampons, which are hard to rent and a pain to carry.
It also means you’ll have a group to chat with and guide, especially useful for the pre-sunrise portion of summit ascent.
I did my Snow Mountain Hike several years ago with Taiwan Adventures, but they seem to have limited trips to the mountain right now.
I also high recommend joiner groups with Parkbus Taiwan or arranging a private guided trip with Taiwan Outdoors.
How to Get a Permit for Snow Mountain
Like most of Taiwan’s high mountain treks above 3000 meters, you need to apply for a national park entry permit. You can do this on your own, but it will obviously be easier if you join a group and let the experts do it for you.
Advance Permits for Foreign Tourists
The national park releases a quota of 24 permits for foreign tourists only (local residents/expats don’t qualify). These are released four months in advance.
While that may seem awesome, there’s a catch. If you get an advance permit, you do NOT get a camping spot at 369 Lodge, the ideal spot to stay on the mountain and staging point for sunrise at the summit.
Instead, you only get a spot in Qika Lodge near the trailhead, which means you would have to summit the whole mountain and back in one go. This would an intense, long (think 18-20 hours return) hike, with serious risk of altitude sickness, so I don’t recommend it (and in winter, just no).
Therefore, until they finish renovating 369 Lodge and letting advance applicants get a spot there again, I don’t recommend the advance permit.
Regular Permits (Recommended for now)
For the time being, getting a regular permit to hike Snow Mountain is the best way because it comes with a camping spot at 369 Lodge, which is the ideal spot for staging your Snow Mountain peak ascent.
Note: You’ll also get the option to book a spot at Qika Lodge the night before, for acclimatization purposes, which I strongly recommend.
Regular permits for Snow Mountain are available to everyone from 30 to 7 days in advance. They can go quickly, especially on weekends and in summer.
To increase your chances, try to apply as soon as they are released at 7:00 AM (Taiwan time) 30 days in advance. You can only submit the application from 7 AM to 11 PM, Taiwan time.
The application page is here. Select “Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters”. Under “Xue Mountain Trail”, select “Xue Mountain Trail (Multiple Days)”. Or you can simply find and click “(grade 3) Xue Mountain Trail (Multiple Days)” under the keyword query, then click “apply”.
On the next page, read and select every item. Make sure to select “Standard Application” at the bottom (my recommended way), or “Foreign Advanced Application” if you want to do that. Then click “I agree” at the bottom.
Assuming you’ve gone with the standard application, on the next page, create a team name (even if you are solo), select “Xue Mountain Trail”, and “Xue Mountain Trail Multiple Days”.
Choose “3 hiking days” (assuming you will sleep one night at Qika cabin to acclimatize and one night at 369 camp, as I recommend) and your entry/departure dates.
Then for your schedule, assuming the typical 3D2N itinerary that I recommend, make the following selections (see my screenshot below for how it should look):
- Day 1: Trailhead of Xue Mountain → Qika Cabin (then click “end day”)
- Day 2: Qika Cabin → East Peak of Xue Mountain → Saliujiu Temporary Campground (then click “end day”)
- Day 3: Saliujiu Temporary Campground → Main Peak of Xue Mountain → Saliujiu Temporary Campground → East Peak of Xue Mountain → Trailhead of Xue Mountain (click “end day” to finish)
Below the schedule, select “online learning” and share your Taiwanese phone number (if you have one) or let them know you will get one on arrival.
On the next page, you will have to fill in all the personal info for the applicant (you), leader (just click “same as applicant”), and other team members if you have any.
For phone number and cell phone, if you don’t have a Taiwan number yet at the time of application, you can try inputting a foreign number, but it may not work. If it doesn’t, I suggest using the number of anyone you know in Taiwan or any hotel you will stay before going on the hike.
Like many Taiwanese forms, it may only accept 10-digit numbers, and Taiwanese numbers always need a zero at the front. An example number is 0425901399 for Hoya Resort nearby. Use this if you have to – they won’t actually call you or send any passwords.
You will also need to input an address. Select “其他 (other) in the first two drop down menus and put your home address is the last one. If you live in Taiwan, enter your Taiwanese address.
Then select “foreign passport”, input country and passport number, gender, and birthdate. Emergency contact is not required.
Under the “leader” tab, click “same as applicant”. On this page, you must put an emergency contact name and number. Again, you can try a foreign number, but if it doesn’t work, you’ll need to put any Taiwanese number.
Under Emergency coordinator, choose “Same as applicant”. Under “Attachment Upload data”, click the box beside the words about solo climbing.
For snow season hikes, you’ll need to click “Download “Self- Check List for Snow Climbing Outfits Equipment and Techniques” under “Attachment upload data”. In the form, under Leader, you’ll simply need to write your name, select “Experience climbing well-known snowy terrain in Taiwan or overseas” and give yourself a “pass”.
Also add other members’ names and give them a pass. At the bottom, sign and date, then upload the file.
The system may also ask you to upload proof of climbing experience. A photo of you on a summit, ideally in winter, will suffice here. Write a description of it in the blank and click the green 確定 (confirm) button. Uploading forms may only work during application opening hours.
Back on the main page, at the bottom, you should see your cabin and campground reservations. Enter the verification and click “next”. If anything more is needed, it will tell you.
After that, there will be some final confirmations and you’ll send in your application (7 AM to 11 PM only). You’ll receive an email confirmation right away, then more emails to come if your application is accepted.
If you have trouble with any of these steps, I recommend asking for help in the Taiwan Hiking Community Facebook group. Many members there have completed this form dozens of times.
You can also contact the Shei-Pa national park office here – they speak English, are very helpful, and usually reply within a day.
If you ask for help as a comment on this article, it may take me several days to reply.
Getting to Snow Mountain on Your Own
If you drive a car (see my guide to driving in Taiwan), there is parking available here at the Snow Mountain trailhead. Keep in mind that private cars can’t enter the area during the peak of cherry blossom season (mid-February to beginning of March).
There’s only one bus to Wuling Farm, where the trailhead to Snow Mountain is located.
You’ll need to get to Yilan first, which is a 1.5 (give or take) train or bus ride from Taipei.
Kuo Kuang Bus 1751 departs from Yilan Bus Station (here next to Yilan Trail Station) twice per day, at 7:30 AM and 12:40 PM.
To catch the first one, you’d have to sleep in Yilan city the night before. See my Yilan guide for Yilan visiting info.
If you’re staying at Qika Lodge the first night (as I recommend), the second bus would be OK, but it would be dark by the time you reach the hut.
The scenic and occasionally quite winding bus ride from Yilan to Wuling Farm takes about three hours. You’ll get off the bus here next to the Wuling Farm Visitor’s Center.
From there, it’s a 2.5 hour uphill walk to Xueshan Trailhead, or 3.5 hours to Qika Lodge.
Going back to Yilan, the bus departs Wuling Farm at 9:15 AM and 2:15 PM.
Note that accommodations in Wuling Farm are very limited. Wuling Farm Campground is near the Snow Mountain Trailhead or you can try Hoya Resort (see on Booking / Agoda) further down near the bus station.
My Experience Hiking Snow Mountain
I did my Snow Mountain trek in January, joining a group organized by Taiwan Adventures.
Because I’m writing this several years after actually doing the hike, my hike description is not going to be as detailed as the one in my Yushan guide, which I just hiked for a second time before writing.
Day 1: Taipei to Trailhead to Qika Lodge
It was a normal weekend in Taiwan, so the Taiwan Adventures team leaders, long-term expats and Taiwan hiking veterans, picked up our group members in Taipei on a late Friday afternoon and drove us (approximately three hours) to the Snow Mountain Trailhead (雪山登山口, here) at Wuling Farm in Yilan.
It was already dark by the time we arrived at Wuling Farm and the trailhead, next to a lodge and picturesque reflecting pool of water. When open, the lodge sells some snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. Many visitors to Wuling Farm drive or hike up to the trailhead just to check it out.
From the trailhead, we hiked in the dark for one hour (2 kilometers) to Qika Lodge (七卡山莊, here, 2460m). The lodge features two long rows of simple, communal bunk beds. Our guides provided our sleeping bags – on your own, you’d have to carry one.
Qika Lodge sits at 2,460 meters (8,071 ft) above sea level, which is perfect for acclimatizing. It wasn’t high enough for me to feel any effects (and I am fairly sensitive to elevation), but it’s high enough to properly acclimatize for the hike to come.
Day 2: Qika Lodge to 369 Lodge
After breakfast on Day 2, we set out from Qika Lodge. The hike to 369 Lodge takes 6-7 hours, which meant we were in no major rush – the main goal was to reach the next lodge before dinnertime and dark.
Shortly after leaving Qika Lodge, the trail got steeper, with a series of switchbacks through the forest and only occasional mountain glimpses. But when we got those glimpses, they were absolutely epic.
We finally reached Crying Slope Viewpoint (哭坡觀景台 or Kupu Lookout Platform, here) where we took our first break and enjoyed the views. The viewpoint is 4 kilometers into the hike and about 500 meters higher than Qika Lodge.
We weren’t quite crying yet, but we were definitely breathing heavily by this point, and the break was much needed.
From there, we continued further up the Crying Slope, gaining another 200 meters in elevation before leveling off at the Snow Mountain East Peak (雪山東峰, here) at 3201 m (10,502 ft).
The view from this peak was fantastic, but it didn’t quite have the feeling of “we’ve reached the top!” as some peaks do.
Note that some hikers stay at Qika Lodge and only hike to this point, then go back.
From there on, the remaining trek to 369 Lodge was comparatively flatter and easier. We could see the lodge from quite far away before reaching it.
I was hiking with a friend who, like me, was getting into photography, so we soon fell behind the rest of the group, constantly getting distracted taking photos of the views and interesting vegetation along the way.
Taking our time, we finally plodded up to 369 Lodge (三六九山莊 or Sanliujiu Lodge, here, 3150m) just in time for dinner.
As is often the case when I sleep at altitude, with an unusually early bedtime followed by unusually early wake-up time, not to mention the uncomfortable bunk, I barely slept a wink that night.
My hike was well before the closing of 369 Lodge for renovations, so we got to sleep inside the lodge.
Today, there are only 24 spots for camping at 369 Cabin, with tents, sleeping bags, and food provided by the local Bunun Indigenous people (pre-book here after your permit application is successful).
Day 3: 369 Lodge to Xueshan Peak and Back Down
We woke up at an ungodly hour for our trek to the summit for sunrise. We also woke to the news that it had dumped snow on the peak the day before, but we would pressing ahead nonetheless.
I don’t remember much about hiking through the famous Xueshan Black Forest in the dark, but I would marvel at it on our descent (see below).
By the time we reached the Xueshan Cirque (雪山一號圈谷, here), it had become light enough to see our surroundings, and we were hiking in snow.
We were surrounded by patches of alpine krummholz, mostly made up of low, wind-sculpted clusters of creeping juniper and alpine rhododendron.
The setting was spooky and surreal, yet unbelievably beautiful.
I could only take occasional photos, each time a conscious decision to take off my gloves, pull out my camera, and snap a quick photo before my hands would freeze.
All around me, the vegetation was covered in gorgeous, wind-blown snow, ice, and frost.
Before our final push to the summit, we had to stop and put on much-needed crampons.
From there, it got very steep, with one particularly nerve-racking section where we crossed a steep slope with snowy wind blowing in our faces.
The final couple minutes to the peak wasn’t particularly difficult, as I followed a maze of snowy paths through the beautifully snow-encrusted vegetation, and suddenly I was on the peak!
The sun had already come up at some point without us even knowing it – the sky was pure light gray with clouds. Besides the Snow Mountain stone peak marker and each other, we couldn’t see a thing from the summit.
Leaving shortly after to keep warm, we were soon back in the cirque again. It was every bit as beautiful as when we’d come up.
From there, we handed the crampons back to the guide and I enjoyed a solitary descent through the Xueshan Black Forest (雪山黑森林, here).
Except, this time I could actually see it. This high-elevation conifer forest gets its name because the density of trees make it feel dark and gloomy. Some of the trees also have dark, almost black bases.
With a fresh dusting of snow, the forest looked surreal, with gorgeous pine green colors showing through the white.
I also came across some particularly gorgeous icicles spilling off a cliff face.
It was in the Black Forest where my enjoyment of the hike suddenly came to an end. With my legs already stiff from the tough hike to this point, I took a very deep downward step from a boulder and my knee popped.
It’s an injury that I still deal with today, years later. My knee has never been the same since.
I still had a long way to go down the mountain, and the hours that followed were a struggle. By the final hour before return to Wuling Farm, I had fallen behind the group, and one of the leaders had to stay back with me.
I made it to the bottom without help, but barely. I was so happy to finally spot the flowers of Wuling Farm and the van waiting for us.
In retrospect, I had been out of shape at the time of the hike and should have done more training before it.
I learned a major lesson that day, but I still look back fondly at this incredible hike, and the snowiest conditions I’ve ever experienced in subtropical Taiwan.
If you are planning to hike Snow Mountain, I would love to hear about it. After your hike, please remember to circle back here and share any useful information in the comments. This will help me to keep the article updated and benefit other readers!