Date last updated: 1 March 2018

Important Notices on Application for Entry into the Park Ecological Protection Areas and Other Restricted Zones

1. Details on the Important Notices on Application for Entry into the Ecological Protection Area and Other Restricted Zones of Taroko National Park:

1. Legal basis: The following regulations were set in accordance with Article 19 of the National Parks Law: “Entrance to Ecological Protection Areas shall be allowed only after obtaining a permit from the relevant National Park Headquarters” and with Section 8 of Article 13 in the Regulations of the National Parks of Taiwan (Ministry of the Interior) that describe the prohibited activities within Taroko National Park, where the regulations for entering the listed areas and Zhuilu Old Road without permission are specifically set.
2. The method for applying to enter this national park’s Ecological Protection Areas and other Restricted Mountain Areas is as follows:

Online application: Applications for an Ecological Protection Area entry permit (“Park Entry Permit”) can be done through this system by completing the relevant forms in accordance with the regulations. After obtaining a Park Entry Permit, applications can then be sent to the NPA or relevant police unit for a Mountain Entry Permit, if applicable to the route applied.

2. Points for attention for applicants:

1. Those who apply to enter the National Park’s Ecological Protection Areas and other Restricted Mountain Areas must make sure to provide their personal and route information in advance of entry. The “Online Application for Taiwan National Park Permits” website provides an online application service for this purpose, as well as the current situation and latest information on mountain areas within the National Park jurisdictions, application enquiries, and other services.
2. For Qilai (Qilai Main Peak and Qilai North Peak, Mt. Qilai Range, Qilai East Ridge, Qilai South Peak), Nanhu (Mt. Nanhu, Mt. Nanhu – Mt. Zhongyangjian/North Section 1), North Sections 1 to 2, North Section 2/Guimenguan Cliff, Mt. Shuan – Mt. Lingming, Mt. Shuan Single Day Ascent, Mt. Bilu – Mt. Yangtou, Mt. Qingshui, and non-traditional (“Other”) routes:
   1. Applications will open 7 – 30 days before the date of intended entry (Note: Non-traditional (“Other”) routes require independent case verification, which may require comparatively longer processing times. We ask that you cooperate with our staff during this process).
   2. One application is representative of one team. A team can consist of a maximum of 12 people; separate (new) application(s) should be completed if the number of team members exceeds 12. An applicant can only be a team member or a team leader a maximum of once a day (e.g. one cannot be a member of a team and the leader of another team on the same day).
   3. Applications submitted less than 7 days before the date of intended entry will not be accepted.
   4. Applications successfully submitted within 30 days before the date of intended entry will be arranged in the order of submission time.
   5. Once an application is approved, the date of entry and the names of members (including the team leader, team members, and the emergency coordinator) cannot be changed. Parties may cancel their application in whole or in part (either for an individual or for the entire party) up to 10 pm the day of intended entry. Additional (separate) applications should be submitted if additional members wish to participate.
3. For Mt. Yangtou Single Day Ascent, Mt. Bilu Single Day Ascent routes:Apply 3-30 days before park entry. Case examination takes 3 working days (weekend and holidays are not included).
   1. Applications will open 3 – 30 days before entry. The application window will close at 3 pm the day before consecutive holidays if the date of intended entry falls between Tuesday and Friday, and before 3 pm 3 days before the date of intended entry, if this date falls on a Friday.
   2. One application is representative of one team. A team can consist of a maximum of 12 people; separate (new) application(s) should be completed if the number of team members exceeds 12. An applicant can only be a team member or a team leader a maximum of once a day (e.g. one cannot be a member of a team and the leader of another team on the same day).
   3. Applications submitted less than 3 days before the date of intended entry will not be accepted.
   4. Applications successfully submitted within 30 days before the date of intended entry will be arranged in the order of submission time.
   5. Once an application is approved, the date of entry and the names of members (including the team leader, team members, and the emergency coordinator) cannot be changed. Parties may cancel their application in whole or in part (either for an individual or for the entire party) up to 10 pm the day of intended entry. Additional (separate) applications should be submitted if additional members wish to participate.
4. For Zhuilu Old Road:
   1. Applications will open 1 – 30 days before entry. The application window will close at 3 pm on the previous working day.
   2. One application is representative of one team. A team can consist of a maximum of 12 people; separate (new) application(s) should be completed if the number of team members exceeds 12. An applicant can only be a team member or a team leader a maximum of once a day (e.g. one cannot be a member of a team and the leader of another team on the same day).
   3. The latest submission time for Zhuilu Old Road is 3 pm the previous day if the date of intended entry falls between Tuesday and Friday, and before 3 pm on Friday for entry between Saturday and Monday. If there is a public holiday before the date of intended entry, the latest submission time is 3 pm on the last working day. Otherwise, applications submitted in advance of these date restrictions will not be subjected to these regulations.
   4. Applications successfully submitted within 30 days before the date of intended entry will be arranged in the order of submission time.
   5. Once an application is approved, the date of entry and the names of members (including the team leader, team members, and the emergency coordinator) cannot be changed. Parties may cancel their application in whole or in part (either for an individual or for the entire party) up to 10 pm the day of intended entry. Additional (separate) applications should be submitted if additional members wish to participate.
5. After the application is made, the person handling the examination of the application will inform the applicant immediately by text and email if there is an error in the application; if the applicant does not correct the error(s) within 48 hours the application will not be accepted and a new application must be made.
6. To ensure the correctness of and responsibility for party member details and route planning the applicant must agree to bear certain responsibilities otherwise the application will not be accepted.

7. To ensure smooth communication in the event of an emergency rear personnel and emergency contact persons should be adults (i.e. over the age of 18).

8. Applicants for entry into Taroko National Park Ecological Protection Areas and other Restricted Mountain Areas should first read “Taroko National Park Ecological Protection Area and Other Restricted Mountain Area Park Entry Application Regulations,” “Things to Know About Yushan, Taroko and Shei-pa National Park Ecological Protection Area Entry Permit Application Work” and “Points for Attention when Applying for Park Entry,” carefully online, then click on “Agree” to enter the system application screen, and then complete an electronic application form and climbing plan, along with any relevant forms (e.g. Climbing Safety Affidavit, Solo Climbing Declaration, etc.) in accordance with the directions and the park HQ’s regulations.

C. Points for the attention of applicants and party leaders:

1. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Any applicant who registers the ID name, cell phone number, email or other personal details of another person without permission when applying or registering personal details may commit the crime of fraud in accordance with criminal law. If such behavior is discovered offenders will be barred from applying for park entry for one year and this will be recorded in the system.
2. In order to maintain equal opportunity for all teams and applications, teams must follow their proposed itinerary and enter/exit the Park on their listed dates. Teams may not enter the Park on any other dates other than their proposed entry date.
3. The system accepts applications between 07：00 and 23：00 and processes them according to the time limit for applications for each route. No applications can be submitted between 23:00 and 07:00. A daily quota been implemented on several routes; please cooperate with the relevant notices and restrictions for these affected routes.
4. In the case of typhoons (or any other natural disasters) affecting Park Entry, the applicant and the team leader of all approved teams will be contacted via email and text message of any related information. Approved applicants and team leaders should re-confirm any suggestions from the Park HQ and whether Restricted Mountain Areas remain open before departure.
5. The team leader must be (i) at least 18 years old adult, and (ii) able to assume the safety of their team.  Each team member should understand and acknowledge the precautions in the ecological protection zone and other control areas, and observe the national park regulations at all times during the hike. Team members should be aware of their own safety (e.g. do not climb at night), and carry GPS and communication equipment in the case of emergencies (to ensure the safety of the team, the mobile phone numbers of the team must not be the same as their respective emergency contacts). The leader is responsible for the supervision and guarantee of the provisions of the ecological protection zone and other controlled areas.
6. If team members are under the age of 18, they will need to attach a “Parental Consent Form” with their application. Similarly, solo hikers will need to attach a “Solo Climbing Declaration” along with their application.
7. Older people should only apply for routes suited to their physical ability. We suggest that a doctor or related professional is consulted before climbing a special or challenging route; also re-confirm physical ability before setting out. 
8. If a typhoon warning, forest fires, or other emergency announcement has been issued, the Park Headquarters may implement additional emergency measures that prohibit entry to one or more trails. All Park Entry Permits approved during the affected dates for the affected routes will be deemed void (ineffective) upon the issuance of the announcement. If teams are already en route during this period, please cooperate with emergency personnel and follow instructions to either evacuate the mountain area in danger or to temporarily stay at a safe location to wait out the natural disaster.
9. It is important to provide accurate details of each team member’s emergency contact in the case of needing emergency rescue. Please provide the name of a family member who will not hike with the team. The same person(s) should not be used for multiple members within the same team except in the case of foreigners and members of the same family. Contact addresses should be based on respective mailing addresses.
10. Standby mechanism－The number of beds in each cabin does not always equal the quota for its respective route. The following standby system was established in response to the route quota being higher than the number of beds available:
    1. Bed waitlist: If the applicant applies for a bed when the beds in each cabin on the specific day are already fully booked, the applicant will need to camp near the cabin. This will be listed on the Permits website. If beds become available because of cancellation by another team, the system will allocate the available beds to teams on the standby list in the order of their application time. The bed standby time ends one day before the team’s departure. 
    2. Route waitlist: Every route allows up to 10 teams on the waitlist for each route each day. When a route is fully booked, the system will automatically register applicants on the waitlist. If an already-approved party cancels their application for that day and the number of freed places is equal or more than the number of people in the first team on the standby list, the system will automatically move the first team on the waitlist to within the quota. If an already-approved party cancels their application for that day and the number of freed places is less than the number of people in the first team on the standby list, the system will automatically contact the first team on the waitlist by email informing them that places are available and that they can modify the number of persons on their team to fit the available freed places. If the notified team does not take the places within two days, their application will automatically be cancelled and the places will be offered to the next team on the waitlist. The waitlist expires according to the time limit for application for each route.
11. Visitors entering the National Park are forbidden from feeding or harassing wild animals.
12. Visitors are not allowed to take pets into Ecological Protection Areas, Archeological Protection Areas or Special Scenic Areas (except along roads).
13. Porters and any other support personnel should be included as team members in an Park Entry Permit application.
14. When entering any Ecological Protection Area, teams should bring with them their Park Entry Permits, Mountain Entry Permits, and/or identification of all team members for checking by park rangers and wardens. Please contact the National Police Agency for more information regarding applications for Mountain Entry Permits.
15. Hikers intending to enter Ecological Protection Areas and other restricted zones within the National Park should first successfully obtain a Park Entry Permit before obtaining a Mountain Entry Permit. Hikers embarking on one-day out-and-back routes must also apply within the same time periods pertaining to their routes to ensure equal rights for all hikers.

D. Management of Violations

1. Park personnel administering the Park Entry Permits system will check the violation records of the applicant, the team leader, and all team members, and review their application accordingly.
2. If an applicant, team leader, and/or team member falls into any of the following, the Park Entry Permits Office may prevent the entry of the relevant person(s) into the Ecological Protection Area and its application for admission to the park from the date of the violation or the date of the administrative ruling of the Department, and impose a fine on the prohibition of the announcement:
   1. Restriction on entering the Park for a half year:
      1. Notwithstanding abnormal weather or special conditions, a team does not enter the Park and has not cancelled their Park Entry Permit by 15:00 the day before Park Entry. The applicant and the team leader will be served the restriction.
      2. Notwithstanding abnormal weather or special conditions, a team does not enter the Park following their application itinerary. The applicant and the team leader will be served the restriction.
   2. Restriction on entering the Park for a full year:
      1. Those who violate Articles 13 and 19 of the National Parks Law; enter the park without permission; lie to park wardens and rangers; bring unapproved personnel; and travel without a team leader (For Zhuilu Old Road: if all members excluding the team leader completed the hike, only the team leader will be served the restriction). The team leader will be served the restriction.
      2. In response to the special environment in the mountainous area and the safety of the overall team members, the team leader does not take full responsibility for the safety and management of emergencies on behalf of the team. The team leader will be served the restriction.

If you have any questions, please contact the park’s Recreation Services Section on (03)862-1576 or (03)8621100 ext. 605 during office hours.

Taroko National Park Headquarters