Soil extracellular enzyme stoichiometry serves as a powerful indicator of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) limitations in microbial metabolism. However, how these limitations vary along elevational gradients remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the activities of C-acquiring ((3-glucosidase, BG), Nacquiring (N-acetyl-(3-glucosaminidase, NAG; leucine aminopeptidase, LAP), and P-acquiring (acid phosphatase, AP) enzymes across five elevations along a mountainous transect. We examined the variations in extracellular enzyme activities, enzyme stoichiometry, and microbial metabolic limitations, and assessed their relationships with key abiotic and biotic factors. The mean enzyme activity ratio (BG:NAG+LAP:AP) was 1:0.36:2.53, deviating from the global stoichiometric mean and indicating a potential nutrient supply imbalance. Vector analysis further suggested that soil microorganisms were predominantly co-limited by C and P, but not by N, across the elevational gradient. The strength of these limitations exhibited nonlinear altitudinal patterns: C limitation was strongest at the lowest and highest elevations, while P limitation peaked in mid-elevation coniferous and mixed forests. Variations in C and P metabolism were primarily driven by vegetation indices, soil properties, and soil CNP content. These findings clarify the altitudinal patterns and drivers of microbial nutrient limitation in subtropical montane forest ecosystems, providing insights into soil microbial functioning that can support strategies for ecological conservation.