At an elevation of 1900 meters, Szumakuszu is situated most precariously, squeezed between the southwest slope of Mt. Hsuehpai of the Snow Range and a cliff dropping 1000 meters to the Taikang River Canyon. A typical traditional Atayal village-- now so rare--it is Taiwan's only tribal village without a road to the outside.
司馬庫斯的海拔標高一千九百公尺，背倚雪山山脈雪白山西南陵線緩坡，前臨落差近一千公尺的泰崗溪谷，地理位置極為險峻封閉，是台灣目前最後一個沒有任何產道可以通抵的山地部落，民風善良而純樸，是個難得的典型傳統泰雅族部落。