The Forestry Bureau said that it will be implementing traffic control measures on a road leading to a popular scenic mountain trail in northeastern Taiwan from the middle of next month.
The trail, through a Taiwanese beech forest at Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area (太平山國家森林遊樂區), attracts visitors each autumn as the leaves turn yellow, the bureau said.
It said it will restrict motor vehicles from entering Cueifong Road (翠峰路), which serves the Taiwan Beech National Trail (台灣山毛櫸步道), on the weekends from Oct. 15 to Nov. 13, in a bid to limit the number of cars that might disturb wildlife and cause pollution.
The restriction will be in effect from 9am to 12am, during which vehicles other than shuttle buses and government vehicles would be banned from accessing the 16.5km road from Taipingshan Villa (太平山莊) to the trailhead, the bureau added.
The trail begins at Cueifong Villa (翠峰山屋) in the Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area in Yilan County and stretches for 3.8km, taking about three hours to walk.
The beech forest is at the final section of the trail and covers 900 hectares, the bureau said.
The first 2.5km of the trail is built on an old forest railway that traverses the mountain slopes.
“You can observe slate cliffs, mosses, Taiwanese cypress, Japanese cedar and Taiwanese cherry along the way,” the bureau said.
Taiwanese beech is endemic to Taiwan and grows on slopes near the crest line of mountains at an altitude of 1,300m to 2,400m.
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