Elephant Trunk Rock Taipei Taiwan

ELEPHANT ROCK

About

Shenao Elephant Rock 深澳岬角 is located on the northern coastal area in Ruifang district, Taipei, Taiwan. While the locals and fishermen are very much aware of the Elephant rock, for visitors it could be no mean feat as even the signboard at the end of Shen’ao habour pointing to the correct direction to proceed towards is kind of inconspicuous. From the end of Sheng’ao harbour, journey from the coastline, pass by some beautiful rocks adorned with jade green algae sitting in the fog creating an ethereal realm misty shoreline. Climb up the hill and venture pass a graveyard and land upon a platform of rocks like that of Yehliu geopark to finally reach the elephant rock. The journey from Shen’ao habour is less taxing but there are much lesser to see enroute as the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Alternatively, hike up along Mt Sheng’ao trail after alighting at Badouzi train station and find yourself infront of a magnificent rock wall. Walking along the perimeter of the rock wall amongst the tall vegetation and climb up before arriving at scenic lookout station to catch a glimpse of Badouzi and Keelung Isle in a distance while scenic lookout 2 provides a panoramic view of the entire miniscule coastal area from up above. Approximately 2 hours into the hike, the peak of Sheng’ao awaits you at a height of 170 metres. After passing by an old shack and a graveyard area before reaching Shen’ao harbour. Continue walking down the street until the huge indian Chief rock can be seen from afar and approach in that direction. The magnificent Chief rock is a 8 storey high rock that sits directly besides the coast and its side profile has a strong resemblance to that of a Indian chief. Beneath the chief rock lies some sedimentary mushroom rock structures and grassy green for visitors to take a rest under the shade while admiring the nearby scenery. Approach the right side of Chief rock where some street vendors will peddle their wares to reach the elephant rock. The ethereal realm misty shoreline of algae rich stones can also be seen when taking this route. Daring individuals may consider walking up to the head of the elephant for a unobstructed view of the surrounding seas though not advisable as for one, chances of slip and fall incidents are highly plausible and two, the elevation of elephant rock is pretty much the same on the back or on the head so the view does not really change much. Another notable attraction in this area is the rock wall with numerous protruding honeycomb rocks sticking out from it like Medusa head.

BEST TIME TO GO

Go only during a dry and not stormy day. During rainy days the rocks become very slippery. On windy or stormy days, gusts might blow you easily from the cliff. It is better to come in the afternoon when the sun is low. Then the sun will also be on the landward side giving good light. In the morning and mid day the sun can be very intense, and there is nothing to hide in the shade. It can be a pain to take photos during this time, also the light is not ideal (except you want this kind of light). On weekends and holidays you can expect more people there, but during weekdays this place is pretty empty.

In the harbour are plenty of restaurants serving the freshly catched fish. It’s a great place to have a lunch break or dinner.

LOCATION AND HOW TO REACH

Elephant Rock is located on the north coast of Taiwan, about 5 km east of Keelung City. The easiest and fasted way to reach it is by car or scooter. Go until the end of the harbor, there is plenty of parking space. By public transport take bus 791 or 1051 from Keelung train station and get off at 深澳發電廠 (Shēn ào fādiàn chǎng) and walk to the harbor. The bus takes about 1 hour.