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For more ambitious visitors, this is the place for expansive views of the surrounding mountains, located atop the mountain ridge bounding the nature area to the east. A 750-meter climb from the nature area entrance via steep stone steps or long switchback roads. (Not something to aim for late in the day unless you're a fast hiker.)
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鳳凰山北嶺線
For serious hikers: one of several longer treks that can be done from Xitou, this route follows the mountain ridge from the Observatory across several peaks of Pheonix (Fenghuang) Mountain.
登山步道
A strenous short hike, climbing 400 m in 1.3 km from where it branches off the Bird Watching Trail to its end near the Observatory, crossing the switchback roads in a couple of places
溪頭神木
A massive, old-growth Taiwan Red Cypress tree stood here for thousands of years, standing out as the only remaining natural-growing evergreen conifer tree in the area until it fell in 2016. Today there's a boardwalk that allows to you walk around part of enormous fallen log, which is being allowed to return to nature, covered with thousands of smaller forest understory plants.
溪頭銀杏橋
Maybe the most photogenic architectural feature in the nature area - a wooden footbridge in a wavy shape with two humps.
鳳凰山巨石
A house-sized boulder that tumbled down the mountain during the 1999 Jiji Earthquake (921). Now already partially overgrown with plant life. Access via a short but steep paved trail.
空中走廊
A wooden canopy walk among the cedar trees.