Valley of the Gods Waterfall 神仙谷瀑布

 

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. 

 

Here is the google maps address:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E5%90%BB%E5%90%BB%E9%9C%B2%E7%87%9F%E5%8D%80/@24.5290781,121.0214709,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x35947f78a84a1a16!2z56We5LuZ6LC354CR5biDIFZhbGxleSBvZiB0aGUgR29kcyBXYXRlcmZhbGw!8m2!3d24.54515!4d121.03076!3m4!1s0x3468513b4fb72a05:0xab98a78a5bf02274!8m2!3d24.5290781!4d121.0214709

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=

 

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=