Elephant Trunk Rock (Shen'ao) 象鼻岩(深奧)

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Elephant Trunk Rock was a rock shaped like its name in the Shenao area of Ruifang District, New Taipei City. There are also many interesting rock formations in the area. It was one of the most recognizable rock formations on the north coast and a popular location for, kayakers, snorkelers, and Instagrammers. 
Elephant Trunk Rock eroded away and fell into the sea on December 16th, 2023. You can still visit for great views here, but the elephant trunk is gone. 

Background:
The sandstone and sedimentary that forms the Elephant Rock formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The Elephant's head was formed by easily eroding sandstone, with the area under the trunk being eroded away by the sea and waves. 
Elephant Rock is so named because it looks like an elephant.
The area around Elephant Rock was a protected military base until the year 2000, after which civilians were allowed to freely visit.
Kayaking and Snorkeling are also popular activities near the Elephant Rock.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Tours and Activities:
At Elephant Rock there are many activities available to enjoy such as kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, and more activities which you can book on Klook here or KKday here. 

Hotels on Taiwan's Northern Coast:
We recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
We have stayed at and recommend ​Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. ​You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here.  You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. 
We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

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.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
Looking for scooter rental in northern Taiwan? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
​By Train/Bus: Take the TRA to Badouzi (八斗子） station, then walk about 1 KM east until you reach the elephant rock on the coast. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT and buses from Klook here or KKday here. ​You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

Map:
Please see below:

​Our Journey:

I have been to Elephant Rock once by car. You can tell from the parking lot that it is a popular place; there are even a few food trucks sitting there waiting for tourists to buy something. 

Here you can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, and more activities which you can book on Klook here or KKday here. ​

The path to the Elephant Rock is not wheelchair friendly. It is very rocky as you can see from the picture above. 

From the shore here you can see both Jiufen and Keelung Mountain. 

Closeup view of Keelung Mountain in Ruifang. 

The hardest part of the whole trip is walking up this dirt hillside, which you can tell has been weathered down by people's footsteps. 

On top of the hill there is a pretty wide area to explore.

The elephant's head is on the northwest side of the peninsula, and there are sure to be tons of people taking photos there on a nice holiday.

If you have a friend, you can get a photo of yourself on top of the Elephant's head. 

View of Keelung Island to the west, and some other rock formations. 

People taking photos on top of the head. 

If you haven't been able to tell yet, this rock looks like an elephant because of the giant trunk coming out the front, and the ear on the right side. If we were to compare it to a real life animal I would say it is the same size as the Oliphaunts from the Lord of the Rings.

View of the trunk as it dips into the water below.

Don't get too close to the edge!

View of the shore to the south. 

Tons of people crowding near the elephant rock. 

More people enjoying the interesting rock formations nearby. 

View to the northeast.

View to the north.

Honeycomb formation in the rocks.

Different types of sandstone mixed together, looking like a giant elephant dropping. 

A fossilized horseshoe crab?

View of the elephant trunk from afar. 

Waves pouring onto the elephant trunk.

More interesting formations.

Fossilized bird footprints in the sand. 

If you want to go for a kayak tour, or go canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, and more activities which you can book on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our guide to the best beaches near Taipei here. 

Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here.

Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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