The Lanyang Plain is about as flat as Taiwan gets, and the county has built riverside bike paths along almost every river on it: seven themed routes, more than 80 km in all, joined up with the round-island cycle route. You don't need to be fit or brave. Much of it runs along the river embankments, past paddy fields with the mountains behind. If you only ride once, ride the Dongshan River from Dongshan Station. If you want the famous one, the Old Caoling Tunnel is at the county's northern tip.
Good to know: there's no YouBike in Yilan yet. The county plans to launch it in June 2027, starting with 500 bikes in Yilan City and Luodong, and as of November 2026 Yilan isn't on YouBike's list of service areas. For now, you rent from a shop by the path or bring your own bike on the train.
The rides we'd pick
1. The Dongshan River loop, from Dongshan Station
This is the classic, and the easiest to do without a car. The Dongshan River bike path (冬山河自行車道) runs down both banks of the river from Dongshan Station (冬山車站) to the Qingshui tide gate (清水防潮閘門) near the sea, and the two banks together make a loop of about 24 km. On the way you pass the Wushier-jia Wetland (五十二甲濕地), the Dongshan River Water Park (冬山河親水公園) with its red arched bridge, and the National Center for Traditional Arts. Autumn, September to November, is the season the county recommends for it, when the summer sun has eased off.
- Distance About 24 km for the full loop, both banks between Dongshan Station and the Qingshui tide gate; turn back whenever you like
- Surface A complete, well-kept riverside path, fine for families
- Rent Bike rental shops outside Dongshan Station, and a rental stand at the Dongshan River Water Park
- Getting there TRA Train to Dongshan Station, one stop south of Luodong. Or the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Green 21 G21 from Luodong Station to the Water Park.
Pick a bike up outside the station, ride north along the river to the Water Park and the arts center, and come back down the other bank. The Water Park (07:00 to 22:00 in summer, 08:00 to 22:00 in winter) is the natural halfway stop.
2. Luodong: the sports park, the Luodong River and Meihua Lake
If you're staying in Luodong, start at Luodong Sports Park (羅東運動公園), which has a bike rental station. The Luodong River path (羅東溪自行車道) runs about 6.5 km along the right bank from Qingzhou Bridge (清洲橋), the one locals call Waizaiwai Bridge (歪仔歪橋), to Bizaitou Bridge (鼻仔頭橋), and links the sports park with the Zhongshan leisure farm area and Meihua Lake (梅花湖), which has its own bike rental. It's a short ride you can stretch: from the path you can carry on to the temples and gardens in the hills around the lake.
- Distance About 6.5 km along the Luodong River, plus whatever you add
- Rent Rental stations at Luodong Sports Park and Meihua Lake
- Getting there G21 The Green 21 shuttle starts at Luodong Sports Park and calls at Luodong Station and Luodong Transfer Station
3. The Yilan River, from Yilan City
The prettiest path close to town. The Yilan River bike path (宜蘭河自行車道) follows the embankment along the north side of Yilan City, about 15 km on the right bank from Yuanshan Park (員山公園) down past the Yilan River Riverside Park (宜蘭河濱公園) to the river mouth, plus 2 km on the left bank. The embankment at dusk, the "evening view from the west embankment" (西堤晚眺), is one of the classic Eighteen Views of Lanyang, and in April the banks are at their greenest. Upstream you pass the site of the old Yuanshan Shrine (員山神社).
- Distance About 17 km in all; ride as much of it as you like
- Rent We couldn't confirm a bike rental near Yilan Station. Some guesthouses and hotels lend bikes, so ask when you book.
- Getting there TRA Yilan Station, then ride or walk north through town to the river
4. The coast path, when the wind is down
The Yilan coastal bike path (宜蘭濱海自行車道) runs about 15 km along the shore, with Guishan Island offshore and fishermen on the rocks. Its northern section runs 13.5 km from Zhu'an Bridge (竹安橋) to the Yilan River mouth, where it joins the river paths. It's lovely at sunrise in calm weather and hard work into a monsoon headwind, and it's away from the stations, so it suits people who already have a bike. The Scenic Area reopened it on October 29, 2026 after the typhoon. The short Xinshui section further south (新水自行車道) was still closed until further notice in the same announcement.
The Old Caoling Tunnel
The Old Caoling Tunnel (舊草嶺自行車隧道) is the one people have heard of: a 2,167 m railway tunnel from 1924 between Fulong and Shicheng (石城), turned into northern Taiwan's first rail-tunnel bike path in 2008. Riding through takes about 20 minutes one way, and halfway along a sign marks the line between New Taipei and Yilan. The tunnel is the start of the Old Caoling loop (舊草嶺環狀線), about 20 km that comes back along Highway 2 past Shicheng, the Sandiaojiao Lighthouse (三貂角燈塔) and the stone houses of Maoao (卯澳) to Fulong.
- Status Open. The Scenic Area reopened the tunnel on October 25, 2026 after the typhoon (list updated October 29, 2026).
- Hours October to May 08:30 to 17:00 (no entry after 16:30); June to September 08:30 to 17:30 (no entry after 17:00). The control center breaks from 12:30 to 13:30.
- Entry Free
- Rules Bikes and walkers on weekdays; on weekends and public holidays, bikes only. No motor vehicles and no side-by-side tandems.
- Address South entrance: No. 19-2, Shicheng Road, Toucheng (頭城鎮石城路19-2號). North entrance: Wailonglin Street, Fulong, New Taipei.
- Phone 02-2499-1210
- Getting there TRA Train to Fulong Station, where the bike rental shops are
Fulong is the easy end: more trains stop there and the bikes are by the station. Inside Taipei's Fulong day trip covers the rental, the beach and the ride to the lighthouse, so we won't repeat it. From Yilan, it pairs well with the rest of the northeast coast north of Toucheng.
Renting a bike
- At the paths. The county lists rental stations at Luodong Sports Park, Meihua Lake and the Dongshan River Water Park, and there are rental shops outside Dongshan Station. They don't publish prices or hours we could confirm, so bring cash and go in daylight.
- At your hotel. Some guesthouses lend bikes for the lanes around them; we note it in where to stay in Yilan.
- Not at the scooter shops. The station rental shops on our scooters, bikes and cars page rent scooters and cars, not bicycles.
Bikes on trains and buses
TRA Taiwan Railway takes bikes in two everyday ways.
- In a bike bag, on any train. Fold or take the bike apart and zip it fully into a proper bike bag (no plastic or cloth sacks), packed no longer than 150 cm and no more than 220 cm in length, width and height combined. It travels as hand luggage on every class of train, as long as it doesn't block the aisle or take a seat. On a Puyuma, put it in the large-luggage space in car 1 or 8.
- Whole bike, on marked trains. You can wheel a full-size bike on only at certain stations and on certain trains, with a limited number of spaces per train. In Yilan, the stations are Toucheng, Jiaoxi, Yilan, Luodong, Dongshan, Su'ao and Su'ao New, plus Fulong over the county line. In Taipei it's not Taipei Main Station but Nangang, Songshan, Wanhua and Banqiao. Check the trains and spaces on Taiwan Railway's bike pages before you go.
Railway can suspend bikes on long holiday weekends, and Banqiao Station stops taking whole bikes on Fridays to Sundays from November 13 to December 27, 2026, for New Taipei's Christmas event. More on the line itself in our guide to trains to Yilan.
1915 Kamalan buses from Taipei carry bikes free, but only folded or taken apart and boxed or bagged, in the luggage hold, and only if you book three days ahead by phone or email. It's offered on routes 1915, 1916 and 1917 (Luodong or Yilan to Banqiao, via Taipei), on set departures, with room for two bikes per bus. Packed, the longest side can be at most 165 cm and the three sides together at most 220 cm. No e-bikes or anything else with a lithium battery, even with the battery removed. See buses from Taipei for the routes.
G21 The Green 21 tourist shuttle takes folding bikes only on its accessible buses, up to two at a time. The other buses have no luggage space, so don't count on it. More on the shuttles in our guide to local buses and tourist shuttles.
Weather and safety
- Pick your season. Spring and autumn are the best months to ride. In summer, start early and carry water and sun cover. From autumn into winter the northeast monsoon brings wind and drizzle to the plain, and it's strongest on the coast. See the best time to visit for the month by month.
- After a typhoon, paths along the rivers and the coast can be closed, flooded or covered in debris. The Scenic Area posts closures for the coast and the tunnel; check before you set off.
- Some stretches share the road with cars and scooters. Ride on the right, keep to traffic rules, and use lights if you're out near dusk.
- Wear a helmet and ask the rental shop for one. Check the brakes before you leave the shop.
→ The northeast coast and the Caoling Trail · The National Center for Traditional Arts · Two days in Yilan · More things to do
Sources: Yilan County Government, Lanyang bike paths (updated August 18, 2026) (routes, lengths, rental stations, seasons, road sharing) and Inspire River, the Dongshan River (rental outside Dongshan Station, autumn riding); Taiwan Tourism Administration, Dongshan River Water Park (hours); Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area: Old Caoling Tunnel (length, hours, rules, address) and typhoon closures and reopenings (updated October 29, 2026); TVBS on the Old Caoling loop (length and route); Taiwan Railway, bikes on trains, stations for whole bikes and the Banqiao notice; Kamalan Bus, FAQ (bikes, Q17); Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, Dongshan River Line; Liberty Times on YouBike in Yilan (July 1, 2026); YouBike (service areas). Checked November 2026.