Huo Yan Shan 火炎山 (Fire Mountain)

 

 

Hiking through the stark, badlands landscape of Huo Yen Shan 火炎山 (Fire Mountain) in Miaoli, County. This kind of landform is a rare sight in Taiwan. I have lived here for many years and had never made it to this iconic mountain. It is really a unique place and I was not disappointed. Huo Yen Shan is no. 38 on the list of the 100 small peaks of Taiwan.

Distance/Time: 6.17 km. It took us 5 hours 12 mins but that was with a couple of long rests and we slowed down near the end when a member of our group was having a tough time with the heat. I think the whole route could be done in about 4 hours but its worth taking your time.

Trail Conditions: This is a moderate hike. The trail is very well maintained--mostly dusty soil and rounded stones but it was dry with good footing.  On the day we went it was very hot and the first part is a little steep. Later it was more gentle but with a few ups and downs. It seems this trail has a bit of a bad reputation because most people have heard that someone fell and died here when he got too close to the edge. I feel the trail is very safe but of course you should avoid getting too close to the crumbling edge of the ravine. There are usually ropes barriers there to remind you to keep a safe distance.

You do not need a permit.

What to take: Sun protection is a must! We went at the end of August and it was very hot. While there are some good patches of shade, many stretches of the trail are exposed to the sun. I wore a broad hat, long sleeves and put on sunscreen. 

Take more water than you think you will need. I took about 3.5 liters of water, shared about half a liter with someone else and finished it all. There are no sources of water along the route. 

Buy anything you need before you get to the trailhead. There is nothing for sale there. Also there are no toilets anywhere on the hike. At the rest area, which is near the junction to descend there are signs saying women to the left, men to the right but they were just areas in the forest designated as bathrooms. I am surprised there are no toilets given that this is a popular trail.

Transportation: I took the train from Taipei Main Station to Sanyi Station. I had read that you should take an express train to Miaoli Station and then transfer to a local train. But I realized we would get to Miaoli by express train, then wait about an hour and get on the same local train that we could have taken from Taipei anyway.

 In addition the slow train was about half the price. So I took the local train all the way. It left Taipei Main at 7:04 and arrived in Sanyi at 9:40. The cost was NT$191.

Seven of us took the train together. The ride was very pleasant. There were plenty of seats and the time--which I spent reading and chatting with the other hikers--went by quickly. 

We got a taxi outside the train station to the Fire Mountain trail head (HuoYan Shan Shan Kou), which cost $280 and took about 10 minutes.

Some members of our group drove from the Taipei area. They said it took about an hour and a half. Next to the trail head there is a parking lot that costs NT$50 and you can park until 8 pm. But the hikers in our group parked under the overpass next to the trail for free. 

 There were ten people and one dog in our group and after getting everyone together and introductions, we started hiking at about 10:30 am.

On the return trip we took a semi-express train (or what they also call a "slow-fast train") which does not stop at all of the stops but is still slower than the express. We left Sanyi at 17:20 and got to Taipei Main Station at 19:29. 

The Hike: 

The trail head is easy to find-- just down the road to the right of the parking lot. 

 

 

 

 The trail starts to climb right away and follows a dusty path that meanders through the forest. Later the trail gets a little more rocky but it is never very difficult.

 

It climbs the hillside and you soon get some good views of the highway and river below on the left. For a while you can still hear the sound of the highway but eventually it fades. 

This route is very easy to follow and there are few turns. There are some paths leading off into the trees on the right but it seems like they just lead to areas where people like to rest in the forest. I could hear voices coming from inside but did go in. Other paths to the left almost always lead to look out points.  The main path is very clear. On the day we were there, there were plenty of other hikers but it did not feel crowded.

As you climb its worth stopping at the look out points. The view of the massive eroded landscape changes at each point.

 

Eventually the path leads right up to the side of the ravine, then continues along it and up to the center for the best and most iconic view. As you get closer the soil turns more red. 

 

This sign marks one of the best view points.

 

This is also the last views of the ravine. After this the trail climbs to the top of the mountain but away from the badlands areas. So its worth taking it in and enjoying the view. It took us about 1.5 hours to reach this point. 

Note the cracks in the edge. Don't get too close.

  After this the trail follows a ridge and there are some ups and downs. The trail is still very dry and dusty and not typical of landscapes in Taiwan. It is sometimes narrow with the ridge falling away on both sides but still very safe to walk on. It is impressively maintained. This part was the most exposed to the sun.

After this stretch the trail enters a flatter shadier path that comes out at a broad rest area.

 

There are two trails leading off to the right. The first one is the way to return to the parking lot but first take the second one which climbs to the actual summit of Huo Yan Shan in less than 5 minutes.  It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes (from the start of the hike) to get to the summit. 

 

The rest area. The first trail leads back to the parking lot. The second up to the summit.

 The sign says the elevation is 602 meters. 

After a rest we headed down the trail that descends to the parking lot. This trail is actually called the Na'an Historical Trail. 

This is generally a gentle and more shaded path. 

 There was one annoyance on this hike. All day there were lots and lots of caterpillars hanging from threads in the path and in this area they were the worst. 

I tried avoiding them but there were so many it was impossible. So all of us ended up with lots of caterpillars crawling on us. Maybe it just happens at this time of year. They were sort of annoying but the best thing to do was to just ignore them and to occasionally stop to brush them off of your clothes and hat. 

On the return trail there was one fork but the right fork is the correct one and says in Chinese that it returns to the Huo Yan Shan trailhead. 

 We had a somewhat concerning but interesting end to the hike. A couple in our group had brought their golden retriever with them. She must be the most gentle and friendly dog that I have ever seen! All day she would go up to other hikers, let them pet her and revel in the attention.

But she was clearly having trouble with the heat. By the time we reached the last section, she had had enough. She collapsed in a patch of shade just off the path, panting heavily with lots of froth coming from her mouth. We were definitely worried about her.

It took a lot of coaxing to get her back onto the path and once there she flopped down on her side. She clearly was communicating that she was done and not moving anymore.

So in the end we hoisted this over 40 kg dog onto one of her owners' shoulders.

 And when he got tired another member of the group took over carrying her. She was such a gentle dog that she did not complain at all when we picked her up and once she was aloft she actually looked like she was enjoying the view!  

 Luckily she only had to be carried about 600 meters to a road. 

This was not the end of the hike but it was accessible by car so one person went down to get his car and pick her up. 

 

Our hike ended here since we got rides back to the train station from this point. To complete the hike turn right at the road, follow it till it comes to the trail again and its not a long walk to get back to the starting point.  

When I was looking into doing this hike, I found this blog post very helpful: https://www.goteamjosh.com/blog/huoyan

 Also this video by Tony Huang is very helpful:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQEnxg7A1lU

GPS coordinates and map:

HuoYan Shan parking lot and trailhead: 24.358218, 120.735924

Huo Yan Shan Summit: 24.37732, 120.730146

https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MjA2MDc0ODU=

Yunsen Waterfall 雲森瀑布 Wild Camping

 

Yunsen Waterfall

 Camping beside a wide, shallow stream below the beautiful 25 meter Yunsen Waterfall/ 雲森瀑布 

Distance/Time: About 9km/5.5 hours total. We did some wandering around and took some wrong turns so the distance and time is approxiamate. We camped over night but this is normally done as a day hike. It would probably take somewhere between 3 and 4 hours to walk the whole trail but its worth lingering near the waterfalls. 

 

Details:  This is a moderate hike. Its not too long or difficult but when we were there it was very slippery because of recent heavy rain which also made the waterfalls impressive. I have been here several times and this was the most water I have ever seen. There are a couple of stream crossings over bridges made from local materials but they are sturdy and well made. 

We actually set out to do a different route but decided instead to camp beside the river downstream from the Yunsen Waterfall which was a great option. We were close enough to see and hear the waterfall but next to a wide, shallow area where the water slows to a gentle pace. 

What to bring: Nothing other than the usual things. There is a shop at the Xiong Kong bus stop that sells a limited selection of drinks and snacks. 

Transportation: I took the MRT Blue Line to Yongning station. Outside exit 1 and down the road to the left is the bus stop for bus 916 to Sanxia. This bus comes frequently and I only had to wait 5 minutes. The 916 takes highway 3 to Sanxia. I got off at the second stop after the bus exits the highway at Da Yong Road. There is a Hi Life on the corner. The ride took about 10 minutes. Here I met my hiking partner. 

 We turned right and walked down Da Yong Road to the second bus depot on the left. (I think the first one is actually a garage for the buses.) To the left of the entrance to the bus depot is the stop for bus 807. 

 This bus leaves at 6:00, 8:30, 14:30 and 17:30 on the weekends and holidays and according to the sign at 5:20, 7:00, 9:30, 12:00, 15:00 and 17:30 during the week. But I have only ever taken it on a weekend or holiday. We took the 2:30 bus and got off at the Xiong Kong bus stop. The ride takes about 50 minutes or less depending on traffic and how many people are getting on and off the bus. After Xiong Kong the bus continues on to the parking lot of the Man Yue Yuan Forest Recreation Area before going back to Sanxia. 

 The hike: Across the street from the bus stop there is a small store and just down the road to the left of the shop there is a toilet. There is red and white sign with an arrow saying toilet in Chinese. 

Mom and pop store at Xiongkong

 Standing in front of the store and looking across the road to a parking area, the road forks left and right. You can go either way but there is a short-cut on a dirt trail that cuts out some road walking. So we took the left fork, passing between the bus stop and the parking area. 

 A few meters down the road next to a blue and white tile building, #157, there is a trail climbing up the hill. 

 

This is nice trail with good footing that is steep in some places. We arrived at the road after a short walk and turned left. 

 

After about 20 minutes there is a parking lot on the right. At the end of the parking lot is the trail to Sisters Waterfall but we passed by for now. We followed the road until we came to a dirt path bearing right-- almost parallel to the road. There is a brown sign with white lettering in Chinese here. It takes about 30 minutes to reach this point. 

This is a clear trail which goes all the way to Yunsen Waterfall. The path is usually wide but it was slippery in places on the day we went. We followed this all the way to the area below Yunsen Waterfall. Here there is a wide, shallow area where the water coming from the falls slows down-- with a deeper pool near the end which is a good place for a dip. 

 

Yunsen Watefall above is an impressive site and this day there was more water than I have ever seen before and a loud roar coming from the waterfall. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach this point. This is where we ended up camping for the night on a flat gravel bank next to the stream. 

 We actually had planned to camp in a place higher up the trail, leave our packs and to climb 1414 meter Zhulu Shan 逐鹿山the next day. My friend had checked out the campsite and the trail on a previous hike and had suggested several times that we go. But after leaving the river we took the wrong trail and ended up on an extremely steep and slippery trail. We realized later that this was the trail to Zhulu Shan West peak. By the time we realized we were in the wrong place, we were losing the light and my hiking partner wisely suggested we go back down and camp by the waterfall for the night. Going back down this steep, muddy slope with heavy packs in twilight was tough. Before we got back to the river we had to get out our headlamps. 

We got to our campsite for the night about 7 pm and just as we started to set up our tents the sky opened up and it rained hard and then harder. By the time I got my tent set up my clothes were soaked and I had a good amount of water inside my tent as well. However, once I got in, with the rain pouring outside, the relative comfort of the tent seemed luxurious. My Thermarest kept me above the water that had gotten in and since I was on a slight slope I ended up with the top part of my tent being dry with some water pooling around my feet. 

 I was a little concerned I might have an uncomfortable chilly night after getting soaked especially since I had not brought a sleeping bag but actually it turned out to be very cozy and comfortable except for the fact that my socks stayed wet because they were in the puddle at the bottom of the tent. The puddle actually came in handy at one point because after eating an orange I used it to wash the stickiness off my hands. 

I changed into dry tights, a dry shirt and a fleece jacket. I think it rained heavily and pretty much constantly with some flashes of lightning for about 2 hours but I’m not sure since I dozed off a few times. By the time it stopped raining I didn’t feel like cooking so I just had some snacks in the tent while sipping some red wine. When it stopped raining my friend sat outside my tent door and we chatted, him drinking whiskey and me wine. I dozed on and off all evening, finally going to sleep for the night around midnight. Or so I thought. 

At 1:30 in the morning, I suddenly woke up to voices and bright lights and could see what looked like about 20 guys outside my tent speaking a foreign language—other than the one I’m used to hearing in Taiwan. (It turned out to be just 10 guys). My friend was awake when they arrived and said his first thought when he saw the line of lights approaching was that it was the police. 

 They were a group of students from Indonesia who had ridden motorbikes to the trail head and got in late because they had waited out the rain. After the initial shock, they turned out to be good neighbors. 

They sat up late cooking and talking quietly. The white noise of the waterfall drowned out the sound and they didn’t bother me at all. At one point during the night I did feel a little cold but I put my rain pants on over my tights and after that I was fine. 

In the morning neither of us really felt up for climbing Zhulu Shan which would be at least a 6 to 7 hour hike on a trail made slippery by the rain the previous night. So we decided to be lazy and save Zhulu Shan for another day. We decided to take the 2:30 bus home so there was no hurry to leave the campsite.

 After packing up most of my stuff, I walked up to the base of Yunsen Waterfall which is reached by a bridge made of tree limbs stones and rope that crosses a tributary stream. I had been here in September of 2020 and it was clear the bridge had been damaged a little but was still intact. 

 Here is a video I took of the bridge in September 2020.

Yunsen Waterfall

There are two more waterfalls, Shenshan Falls and Yinyi Falls, a little further upstream but I did not go up because it was starting to get dark and looked like it was going to rain again. The trail to the next two waterfalls goes along the stream to the left of Yunsen Waterfall after crossing the bridge. 

 Next to the turn off for the bridge to Yunsen waterfall I found the trail to Zhulu Shan that we should have taken the night before and walked a short way. But I had leave it for another time. 

Back at the campsite we talked with our campground neighbors about travel in Indonesia and camping in Taiwan. It rained a little more and then stopped. Several hikers came through as well as people who let their dogs play in the water. Around 11 we set off back toward the bus stop. 

 

On the way we visited Sisters Waterfall. At the parking lot next to the road, now on the left, we turned and continued along a wide dirt path at the far end of the parking lot. 

 At the first fork we bore left and slightly up hill. 

  At the second fork we went right. But at this point we could hear the waterfall below so we just had to follow the sound. 

 Near the end of this path is a wide spot under a tree that also looks like an excellent place to camp. Just to the right of the clearing the path drops down very steeply (there are ropes in place) 

and then continues along some rocks. 

You emerge on a wide, slightly sloping rocky platform at the top of Sisters Waterfall. There is a nice pool for swimming and a water slide (that you would never want to go down). 

The top of Sisters Waterfall

 There is a rocky ravine to the right of the falls that will take you down to the base of the waterfall. Its rough but not too difficult. 

After Sisters Waterfall we walked back along the road, across the short cut and to the bus stop. We caught the bus that departed from Sanxia at 2:30. It arrive ahead of schedule at about 3:00. If you are taking the bus be sure to get to the stop early so you don’t have to wait an hour and a half for the next bus. That had happened to me the previous fall but even that is not a big disaster. I had easily hitched a ride back to Sanxia by walking back out to the main road. 

 On this trip we barely scratched the surface of the hiking that can be done in this area and I look forward to going back.

GPS Coordinates: 

Xiongkong bus stop: 24.845407, 121.450742 

Yunsen Waterfall: 24.833899, 121.465735 

Sisters Waterfall: 24.840744, 121.460373 

 Day 1: https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MjA0Mjg1MzU=

 

Day 2: https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MjA0Mjg1NDQ=