Valley of the Gods Waterfall is a huge waterfall in scenic Nanzhuang, Miaoli County. It is popular but with good reason. It is definitely worth a visit anytime in the area. Two streams come together to form an impressive waterfall in a rocky valley with green hills and mountains rising up behind it.
Distance/Time: 0.64 km/about 25 minutes.
Trail Conditions: This walk is very easy. The path is at first concrete, then goes along a boardwalk and over a suspension bridge and returns by the same route.
What to take: Nothing is needed. There is a restaurant/vendor with a barbecue grill that sells food and drinks beside the road at the top of the path. On a previous visit we ate a simple lunch there and the extremely welcoming proprietor let us come behind the grill to pretend we were cooking and to pose for photos with us.
There are bathrooms that you need to pay NT$10 to use.
Transportation: There is no public transportation. The path begins beside Miaoli County Road 21. There is medium sized parking lot just across the road. It may fill up on busy days or there may be a wait for a parking spot.
The hike:
I really would not call this a hike. Its more of a short, easy detour from the road. Its definitely suitable for families and children.
This was my second time visiting this waterfall.This time I visited it on a weekend trip with my family. Nanzhuang is beautiful but popular areas (such as Nanzhuang Old Street) are very crowded in the daytime. If you visit overnight its much more tranquil once the day tripping hordes head back home. We stayed overnight in a homestay not far from the waterfall.
Nanzhauang is full of campgrounds. Some are of the "glamping" variety, others are more simple. On a previous visit I stayed at the Kiss Kiss Campground, which I liked for its simplicity. It offered just a camping spot and simple showers and in the morning we had a view of a sea of clouds in the valley below.
We visited the waterfall on a slightly rainy, overcast afternoon near the end of the day and though there were quite a few visitors it was not crowded.
We parked in the lot, turned left and crossed the street.
The beginning of the path to the waterfall is easy to see--in the corner just beside the restaurant.
The path goes down wood and then concrete steps and passes through bamboo forest.
At the bottom you can see the valley and rocky bed of the first of the streams that join together at the waterfall.
The path goes along a wooden walkway. At the end of the walkway there is a viewing platform.
However the best view is from the middle of the suspension bridge that spans the chasm.
We walked to the other end of the suspension bridge and then returned.
I read later on Xiaofei's blog https://followxiaofei.com/taiwan/miaoli-waterfalls-nanzhuang-valley-of-the-gods-waterfall-and-7-layer-waterfall that there is a path down to the waterfall behind the viewing platform but I didn't I try it, so can't comment on it.
If you are interested in a more challenging hike, the trail to Jiali Shan 加里山步道 is at the end of the same road. It is the tallest peak in Miaoli and one of the small Bai Yue. I hiked it twice before but it has been several years since I have been there. I think that its become more popular and might be crowded but its a great hike.
While we were in the area we also visited the Penglai River Fish Watching Trail 蓬萊溪護魚步道. https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E8%93%AC%E8%90%8A%E6%BA%AA%E8%AD%B7%E9%AD%9A%E6%AD%A5%E9%81%93/@24.5461773,120.9521116,13.58z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x346851bca55c5fbb:0x56e2e2e8af316f92!8m2!3d24.5510055!4d120.9724369
However, I did not enjoy it much. At the entrance there was a saxophone player playing sentimental music that was (to me) too loud and annoying. The path was crowded. The mostly flat trail follows a very inviting looking river with nice pools and you can see lots of fish but it is frustratingly off limits. There is a rope fence all along the trail and signs saying not to cross it. Of course, seeing how many tourists visit this place I can respect why they would want to keep people out in order to protect the river ecosystem.
But if you are in the area and looking for an easy walk that is suitable for families or those who don't really like hiking, it is an option.
Map and GPS:
Valley of the Gods Waterfall: 24.545275, 121.03014
https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MjEyODQyNzI=
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