Shen'Ao Elephant Trunk Rock (象鼻岩)
Located on the north coast of Taiwan, you have to check out this location if you are in the area. It’s the perfect spot to discover geological wonders and get incredible pictures of the scenery. Right by the sea, in the Ruifang District, it takes the name of Elephant Trunk Rock because of the rock formation ressemblance with the animal.
The park is open 24/7 and is free. It takes about 5 mins to get the main attraction: Elephant Trunk Rock.
This sandstone and sedimentary rock formation was created by erosion by a period of 10 to 20 million years ago by the wind and waves crashing in. The site used to be part of a nearby military base until they opened it to the public in the year 2000. (source)
It is a famous local spot where people go snorkeling, kayaking, SUP or taking pictures.
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How to get there
By Car/Scooter: Drive to Keelung, then from downtown take provincial highway 2 east about 10 KM until you reach the Shenziao harbor, and there is some paid parking if you drive to the very end, which will put you closest to Elephant Trunk Rock.
By Train/Bus: Take the TRA to Badouzi (八斗子) station, then walk about 1 KM East until you reach Elephant Trunk Rock.
Attractions
Ruifang Harbor
You can admire a lot of the Taiwanese boats used to fish. Most of them have giant lamps to be able to sail at night.
Shenao Fishing Port
You can see a lot of fisherman setting up on the pier to catch some fish.
Shenao Park
These mushroom looking rock formations are one of a kind and very interesting to look at. These rock formations are quite similar to those you can find in Yehliu geological park.
A family taking pictures with the incredible rock formations.
You get a nice view of the coast and interesting rocks that are similar to Yehliu park for free.
Elephant Trunk Rock
People used to climb the rock to take pictures on top. As of 2021, I think it is forbidden as a safety measure.
The erosion of the rock created this impressive rock formation that took the name of Elephant Trunk Rock in ressemblance to the animal. On a sunny day, there are quite a few tourists, so it’s best to come early.
Another view of the famous landmark.
Coastline view
There is a beautiful view of a cemetary on the Keelung mountain and we can see Jiufen from afar.
This area is quite beautiful. You can see the coastline with mountains, cemetaries and villages in the mountains. The rocks, breeze and incredible view makes it an unmissable location for photography fans.
Day trips
This location is nearby many cool attractions. It is best combined with other locations so you don’t waste your whole day. For exemple, on that trip, I decided to go to Houtong Cat Village and Shifen on the same day. I decided to keep Jiufen and nearby places for another day because there is a lot to do.
Click here to book a tour of northern Taiwan and see different places.
Here are a list of places you could visit on the same day:
Jiufen
Yingyang Sea
Shifen
Golden Waterfall
Yehliu
Houtong Cat Village
Heping Island Park
Bitoujiao Trail
Wanli UFO Village
Laomei Green Reef
Taipei
Book a tour here for a fun paddle board day near Shen’ao Elephant Trunk Rock.
Accomodations
If you plan on staying the night, there are a few options for you. Here are my recommendations:
Budget option: Spangle Inn
Luxury option: Evergreen Laurel Hotel
Book with Agoda for the best deals. Click here to find many more great prices.
Conclusion
Shen’Ao Elephant Trunk Rock is a great place to spend a sunny day. I definitely recommend that place if you are in the Keelung area and are looking for fun activities or places to discover. You can’t get bad pictures there, so it’s the perfect place to practice your photography.
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Thank you for reading! See you in the next adventure!
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