Cloud Forest Waterfall (雲森瀑布)

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Yun-Sen Waterfall (雲森瀑布) which translates as “Cloud Forest” waterfall is kind of an unknown (and overshadowed) waterfall in New Taipei City’s Sanxia District (三峽區.)

Its a beautiful waterfall, its just not that well known - especially among the foreign hiking groups that I frequent. If you take the hike to the waterfall, even on a busy day, you’re not likely to meet many other people other than bird watchers on the trail. 

I’m assuming this is because not that many people know about it and because it is not actually that easy to get to without your own means of transportation (car or scooter.) 

There are buses from Sanxia that will take you near the trailhead and the major marker for the trailhead is actually the Taipei bus company’s “Xiong-Kong” bus stop (熊空站) but it seems to me that they are extremely infrequent and not very dependable. 

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- A close up long exposure of the waterfall

I’ve travelled that road numerous times over the past few weeks while on my way to other hiking trails and I’ve not once seen a single bus. So, if you’re reading this blog post and suddenly get the urge to visit the waterfall, you’d have to be a lot more patient than I am to use the public transportation option to get there. It’s not impossible by any means, I’m just not patient enough to wait hours for a bus to arrive, especially when you’re completely unsure if it is going to come at all.

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- Taiwanese hikers at the stream below the waterfall

The road you take to arrive at the trailhead is more or less a dead-end road that takes you past the Da Ban Gen Hot Spring Resort Village (板藍根) to the Man Yue Yuan National Forest Recreation Area (滿月圓國家森林遊樂區) which are both popular destinations and somewhat overshadow the waterfall. 

When you arrive at the Xiong-Kong bus stop the trailhead is to the right, but it isn’t clearly marked in Chinese or in English so you have to be careful that you take the right route.

Before going, I checked with a Taiwanese hiking blogger and made use of google maps to make sure that I was on the right path when I arrived. (Tip: Type 雲森瀑布 into google maps and it will lead you to the trailhead) I was driving my scooter, so I cheated a bit and drove my scooter up the paved path all the way from the bus stop to the trailhead. 

- The trail to the waterfall

The hike itself is very leisurely and takes about 30-40 minutes for the average hiker. I was in a bit of a hurry when I got there because it looked like it was about to rain, so from the trailhead to the waterfall, it took me only about 20 minutes.

The trail is nice and depending on the season you might randomly notice an orchard of tangerines in the river valley on your way to the falls. 

You eventually arrive at a clearing in the forest and pass a small stream that will take you to a rocky area. This area has painted arrows on massive rocks showing you the direction to take to the waterfall.

Before taking the next path to the waterfall, make sure to stop at the stream below to check out the waterfall from afar. 

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- Carefully walking over the river

The path to the waterfall is kind of cool. You make your way through a series of ropes, then a couple of logs lashed together over a river and then up a ladder which takes you to the base of the falls.

From this point you can continue to climb on another path, which I unfortunately didn’t have time for (but will be checking out in the future as I saw some hardcore hikers coming down from it) 

The waterfall isn’t as big as some other waterfalls in Taiwan, but you can easily get close to the base and in the summer, you can safely take a dip in the pool at the base (which I will be sure to do this summer) 

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- 雲森瀑布

The Cloud-Forest waterfall isn’t the easiest to get to transportation-wise but as far as hiking goes, its one of the easiest trails to take to see a waterfall. You can easily take children or your dog for a walk. If you have a car or a scooter handy, I recommend checking out this waterfall, and if its summer time, make sure to bring a towel and some swimming trunks to enjoy the pool. 

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Google Map Directions to the Waterfall

 

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots) 

Neidong Forest Park (內洞森林遊樂區)

The Neidong National Forest Recreation Park (內洞國家森林遊樂區) is somewhat of a hidden gem - overshadowed by its neighbour Wulai with its hot spring resorts, giant waterfall and "old street." 

The forest park is about a ten minute drive past the village of Wulai further into the mountains and the reason why its stayed 'somewhat' of a hidden gem is because without your own method of transportation in and out of the park, its not easy to reach as there are no public transportation options available. 

The forest park has a short and easy hike that would be ideal for those who aren't looking for an extreme challenge. The area is beautiful and you can easily enjoy an afternoon getting lost inside. 

The hike takes about half an hour (at my pace) from start to finish and the main attraction is clearly the waterfalls and for me, walking along the beautiful emerald Nanshi river (南勢溪) that supplies hot spring water to the village below. 

The Forest Recreation park is very popular with bug chasers and those interested in the ecological aspects of the local environment. Unfortunately during my visit I didn't come across any - I would have liked to have an expert point out some cool looking insects as I’ve heard that there are lots of butterflies, scarab beetles and wild monkeys living throughout the park. 

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Wusha Creek Waterfall

As soon as you pass the gates to enter the park you almost automatically come up to the Wusha Creek Waterfall (烏紗溪瀑布) which is on the opposite side of the river - but there is an excellent view from an observation deck.

Its a nice waterfall, but as you had to pass the massive Wulai Waterfall to get to the park, its not that impressive in comparison. I noticed most people didn't spend a lot of time looking at it.  

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Luohao Dam

Further along the path you come across the Luohao Dam (羅好水壩) which seems somewhat out of place in such a natural surrounding, but I’m guessing its purpose is to keep the village below from being constantly flooded. The dam itself ruins a bit of the “Forest Park” atmosphere, but in the right light you can get its reflection off of the beautiful emerald coloured water which make its nuisance a little easier to handle. 

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The emerald green water of the Nanshi River

After passing the dam you need to walk about five more minutes until you come up to the main attraction which is a three-tiered waterfall commonly known in English as the “Neidong” waterfall but actually named the Xinxian Waterfall (信賢瀑布). The path to the waterfall is well developed and there is a viewing platform at each tier of the waterfall. 

Something strange that I noticed in the park was its accessibility for the disabled. You won't find many areas in Taiwan, especially ones in the mountains that are accessible for the disabled. They seemed to take great care to allow for those in wheelchairs to be able to have access to this park to enjoy the environment. 

For logistical purposes however if you're in a wheelchair you can only go as far as the bottom tier of the waterfall, the other two tiers aren't accessible as you have to climb a hill. Nevertheless I saw quite a few people in wheelchairs enjoying the bottom tier of the waterfall and in my opinion, that's great. 

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The lowest tier of the Xinxian waterfall

The bottom tier and the top tier of the waterfall have wooden observatory platforms and they are extremely difficult to take long-exposure shots on as the platform constantly shakes.

I had my camera set up on a tripod attempting to take thirty-second exposures, but it was more or less impossible as there were a few families there with their children who were running around, stomping their feet and having a good time. 

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The second tier of the Xinxian Waterfall

The second tier of the waterfall can only be viewed from a distance, but at least at this tier you are on the side of the mountain with stable ground. (No shaking) 

The Xinxian Waterfall may not be as big as some of the other waterfalls around northern Taiwan, but its setting is what makes it special. The three tiers are beautiful and the volcanic hot spring water that flows from it is amazing. 

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The top tier of the Xinxian Waterfall

The Neidong National Forest Recreation Park is well worth a visit and if you are visiting the Wulai area, I highly recommend taking a short drive past the resort area and taking the hour or so long hike to see the waterfalls and enjoy the more natural aspects to the area. 

Its very easy to get to Neidong Forest Park. If you are driving a car, before entering the Wulai area make a right turn and cross the bridge. There is adequate signage in both English and Chinese that will follow a route behind the Wulai waterfall and further into the mountains. You reach a small village and turn left. From there cross another small bridge and make a right turn which will bring you to the main gate. 

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Map / Location

 

Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots) 

Xiao Wulai Waterfall (小烏來瀑布)

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Xiao Wulai Waterfall from the start of the hiking trail

Xiao Wulai (小烏來) or "Little Wulai" is a scenic waterfall park in the mountains of Taoyuan (桃園) in Taiwan that features several large waterfalls, hiking paths, hot springs, and the opportunity to experience a bit of Taiwan's Indigenous culture. 

The area is often confused with the Wulai District (烏來區) of New Taipei City (新北市). The Wulai area in New Taipei City also has a giant waterfall, but its more well-known for its hot springs resort area where people like to go to enjoy a nice hot volcanic bath during the cold winter months. 

Both areas are inhabited predominately by the Atayal tribe (泰雅族) one of the largest of the Indigenous groups in Taiwan. In the Atayal language, both areas were known as “Ulay” (Kiluh-ulay) which referred to the volcanic hot springs found in each.

Coincidentally “Kiluh-Ulay” translated into English loosely means “Be careful, the water is hot.” (小心水很燙) 

When the Nationalist Government took control of the island, both areas names became known as “Wulai” (烏來) which was transliterated from the Atayal language into Mandarin.

Xiao Wulai likely became known as "Little Wulai" at the time because the waterfall in New Taipei City is much higher (but not nearly as beautiful as Xiao Wulai)  

I’ve usually visit the park at least once a year and have explored the area many times. Its not a short drive from where I live, but its a beautiful drive that takes you away from the noise, commotion and pollution of the city through the Daxi river valley and up into the Indigenous village of Fuxing (復興鄉) where the air is clean, the water is fresh and the pace of life is much slower. (And during the summer months, you can find peaches everywhere.) 

If you continue driving past the Xiao Wulai park the road eventually takes you across the Fuxing bridge up into Baling (巴陵) and across the famous Northern Cross Highway (北部橫貫公路) which is well known for its mountain views and ultimately brings to you back down into Yilan county (宜蘭縣) on the eastern coast of Taiwan. 

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- The walking path to Xiao Wulai Waterfall's base.

Each time I’ve visited the park there have been constant noticeable changes. The county government has been investing a lot in the area over the years trying to make “Xiao Wulai” a popular tourist destination. I have to admit that my first few visits were the best when the area wasn’t developed very well. There was a simple hiking path that would take you to the base of the falls and other paths that would take you around the falls and behind it to the Dragon-Phoenix Waterfall (龍鳳瀑布).

During these earlier visits there was easy access to the the base of the falls, but for obvious safety reasons there are now barricades stopping people from getting too close (as it would be too dangerous to have a bunch of tourists trying to navigate around a bunch of wet rocks and a giant waterfall.) 

The good news for the majority of tourists is that the government has recently invested almost $8 million New Taiwan Dollars ($250,000 USD) into the construction of a skywalk that allows tourists to walk on a transparent glass floor that is very close to the top of the falls and 70 meters above the base. This was a major tourist attraction when it first opened and the lines were huge. I hadn't actually tried walking across the skywalk until my most recent visit and even then I wasn't particularly interested (which is why there are no pictures of it.)  

As an avid hiker and nature photographer, I’m not particularly interested in that kind of tourist trap and I’d much prefer to take the short and very easy one hour hike from the falls observatory down to the base and enjoy the mountain air and scenery away from the crowds. 

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- Under the viewing bridge at the base of Xiao Wulai

Since the completion of the skywalk and due to its popularity, the majority of people visiting the park will make their way in that direction. The well-developed pathway to the base of the waterfalls is relatively empty - So once you arrive at the falls, if you are so inclined, it is easy to climb under the bridge and get a bit of a closer view of the falls.

You do need to exercise caution though. The river running from the base of the falls can flow quite quickly, especially during the rainy season and rocks are often wet from the rain and the constant mist, so its very easy to slip. You’re no where near a hospital and should anything serious happen, you’d be out of luck. 

The Xiao Wulai Waterfall is one of the biggest and said to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in northern Taiwan. It is considered special because you can see it from close up and from a distance due its location in a clearing in the mountain.

There is a constant heavy flow of water from the waterfall during both the rainy season and the summer months so any time you visit you’ll have no problem enjoying the natural beauty of the area. 

From the base of the falls you can make your way back up to the trailhead or go back to take another path which will lead you around the mountain and ultimately behind the falls to where they are currently constructing a new pathway and observatory for the Dragon-Phoenix Waterfalls. (Often incorrectly named the Double-Dragon waterfalls) It wasn’t possible during this visit for me to get to see both layers of the Dragon and the Phoenix waterfalls because the top layer was closed due to construction.

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- Xiao Wulai Waterfall from the base (小烏來瀑布)

The area around Wulai has developed quite a lot over the years and there are now restaurants, coffee shops and vendors selling food as well. There are new hotels opening in the village near the falls and you can also enjoy some swimming areas during the summer months.

If you do visit Xiao Wulai, you need to make sure to sample some Indigenous food which if you ask me, is probably one of the best styles of food found in Taiwan. The area is well known for its mushrooms, so be sure to try some deep-fried mushrooms, some wild boar, rice baked in a bamboo shoot and any of the awesome mountain vegetables that you won’t find on tables anywhere else in the country!

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- Dragon Pheonix Waterfall (龍鳳瀑布)

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Getting There

 

No. 3 National Highway (國道三號) -> Dasi Interchange (大溪交流道) -> Dasi (大溪) －> Fuxing (復興) -> No. 7 Provincial Highway (台7線) -> Xiayun Bridge (霞雲橋) -> Xiao Wulai Scenic Area (小烏來風景區)

By Scooter/Motorcycle: 

From Taoyuan (桃園) or Zhongli （中壢）make your way to Dasi (大溪) －> Fuxing (復興) -> No. 7 Provincial Highway (台7線) -> Xiayun Bridge (霞雲橋) -> Xiao Wulai Scenic Area (小烏來風景區)

Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots)