This 18km marble-walled gorge has been a popular walking and hiking destination since the 1930s. The park puts out an excellent guide in the Trails of Taroko Gorge and Su-Hua Areas . Pick up a copy at the National Park Headquarters. Useful trail maps are included with clear information on length, times, conditions, and things to observe along the way.
Taroko Gorge began as coral deposits deep under the sea. Under pressure from geological forces, the coral was transformed into limestone and then marble, schists and gneiss. Five million years ago, as Taiwan was lifted from the sea by the collision of the Philippine and Eurasian plates, the gorge began to be formed. In essence, the upward thrust of hard rock, combined with the erosion of the soft layers from water and landslides, left towering canyon walls that are so narrow in places that you could play catch with someone on the other side.
