In this post, we will look at the North Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway N0.7), which starts in Sanxia and finishes in Yilan. The main focus is the actual climb which is 64 kilometers and the entire ride accumulates over 2000 meters of elevation. This climb offers some excellent scenery and if you are based in Taipei this one is well worth doing – even as an out-and-back route.
The official starting point is near Daxi Old Street at the Okm start of Provincial Highway No. 7 – located here. If riding from Taipei you will start from the 7-11 on Tianfu Rd or North 111. This is the classic meet-up spot for any of the networking roads in this vicinity, there are many hills worth exploring in this area. Both roads will take the rider up No. 7 to Fuxing Town.
From the 0 km marker on the No7 it’s approx’ 11km to the intersection with No. 7B. There’s a 7- 11 at this intersection. This section undulates with not much of an ascent.
Veer left to stay on No. 7 proper. The road gets better and better from here. At some points, there is not enough room for two cars to pass. Great views of the Dahan River on the left side of the road. At the 33.9km marker, there is a nice coffee shop for refreshments.
At the 46km marker, the rider comes to the famous pink bridge where all tourists will stop to take a photo. It’s just 500m before Baling town, 617m elevation. In Baling there are shops for refreshments and several small restaurants.
The highest point on the road is at the 57.5km marker, 1,200m. From this point, the road is undulating for around 10 km. Nothing on this section of the road by way of shops. There are toilets at Mingchi Guest House at the 67 km marker.
From the highest point of 1,200m, it’s exactly 47 km downhill to Yilan City. The downhill is rather steep and carries on for 10 – 12 km. At the 84.4km marker, there is a good coffee shop that serves food on the left.
At the 86 km marker intersection of No. 7 and No. 7A. Turn left for Yilan.
Follow this road for 8.5km where the road intersects with No. 7C, and take the left fork for Yilan City which is 26 km from this point. You can also head to Loudong if you are looking for a hotel or to hop on the local TRA.
From start to finish No. 7 is 123 kilometers.
This route has recently become part of the double Northern Cross. Riders have taken on the challenge of riding from Taipei to Sanxia climbing over No. 7 and then rolling into Yilan, then climbing up Provincial Highway No. 9. This route can cover over 200 km+ and tallies up to over 3,300 meters of climbing. Be prepared for various weather changes and double-check the road conditions before you start. During the summer of 2022, heavy rains washed out sections of the road near Mingchi.
Here are the GPX and KML files.
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