Location: Taitung (road/gravel)
Distance: 59km Elevation Gain: 1,200m
When asked to choose their favorite part of Taiwan it was no surprise that Taiwanese picked the Rift Valley. In this post, we cover County Road No. 197 in Taitung. The road itself is exactly 59km from where it starts (0km marker) in Chihshang to where it terminates just a few kilometers north of Taitung city.
In our series, we covered another road that runs through the Rift Valley, County Road No. 193, listed as #048. The following post covers the sister road of the No. 193, the No. 197. Although a lot shorter at just 59km in length that doesn’t distract from the fact that this is an excellent alternative route to the inland Provincial Highway No. 9 or the coastal Provincial Highway No. 11.
This is a primary training route for anyone living in Taitung and such is its popularity that there is an annual race organized to incorporate the route. This is known as the ‘Loving 197’ event and attracts both professional and recreational riders with the option of shorter and longer distances. In the following post, we cover the road from south to north.
From Taitung train station turn right on the main road (Tung 46) and take a left on Provincial Highway No. 11B. From this point it’s 4.5km to the turn-off for No. 197 just after a bridge over the Beinan River. It’s a fairly sharp ascent up to 200m before the road levels off. There are no shops to pick up supplies for most of this route, however, there are numerous coffee shops that are popular with tourists who travel up here for the night view over the city.
This is a densely forested area, but there are several viewpoints offering views of the Rift Valley and the moon-like landscape of the Liji Badlands.
As a trajectory of the coastal mountain range the No. 197 is also a great place to appreciate the central mountains off to the left.
The next point of interest is at the 43.5km marker. The indigenous village of Zengshan is on the right, there’s not much to see here, but this is the turn-off for local road Tung 40 which later on becomes the Tung 23. This is an excellent route that connects to Provincial Highway No.23 and the east coast. This route is covered in #036 – ‘Double 23 Loop’. This is a great way to loop back to Taitung if the rider does not want to deal with the gravel sections of the 197.
There is fairly dramatic undulation as the road ascends to 400m before you come to the gravel section, which lasts 14km from the 37km to 23km marker. Although it could be handled with road tires, I recommend something sturdier to handle the loose stony surface.
The rider should be aware that typhoons and earthquakes in 2024 damaged one section of the road. A small bridge got washed out and the only way to cross is to carry the bike. If this doesn’t deter you then it’s a clear run through to Chihshang township where the road merges with Provincial Highway No. 9. No shortage of food and accommodation options here and a train station to service a north-to-south ride on the No. 193.
As a fairly long loop out of Taitung the route suggested in the article at the link below is an excellent way to cover a combination of the No. 197 and other roads mentioned here.
Here is an interactive map of the route: