The weather in northern Taiwan is notoriously bad in the winter and this year has been no exception. So f you’re going to hike in the rain, there won’t be much scenery to look, unless of course you visit a waterfall and the Sandiaoling Trail 三貂嶺 has waterfalls in abundance.
Hegu Waterfall, the first waterfall on the trail
When I woke up on Sunday the weather in Taipei wasn’t too bad, just a slight drizzle and so I had high hopes for our hike. However, the further east we got, the heavier the rain became and when we finally arrived at the tiny station of Sandiaoling, it was pretty much a persistent downpour. Still, everyone was in high spirits as we headed along the tracks and got onto the very muddy trail.
You can’t get that close to the first waterfall, but the view of the Hegu Falls 合谷瀑布 from the trail is spectacular. From here the trails cross several new rope bridges and follows a stream up to the next fall.
Hiking up a small stream towards the next waterfall
My favourite of the waterfalls in this area, the Motian Waterfall 模天瀑布 cascades over a cliff with a cave behind it and smashes into rocks at the bottom. After all the rain we’ve been having recently the fall was just amazing as was crawling through the cave to get behind it.
Motian Waterfall (was this one once called Sandiaoling Waterfall?)
The cave around the back of Motian Waterfall
From here the trail gets rougher with a few fixed ropes, some very slippery slopes and a wooden ladder of sorts before finally coming to the last fall, the Papi Waterfall 杷枇瀑布. It too has a cave behind it but you can’t climb into it.
The last waterfall, Papi Waterfall
A steep and slippery climb to the top!
It’s a short scramble up to a concrete track above the waterfall. We turned left here and followed the track, criss-crossing a road a few times before finally get to the small village of Xinliao 新寮. Just before the village we spotted a group of Formosan Magpies in a field but by this point my camera and I were much too wet to get a shot of them.
At Xinliao we made another left and followed the road to Yeren Valley 野人谷, which looks very much closed and dilapidated. We took the stairs to the right of the building and climbed up and then down to the red bridge which finally leads to the train tracks on the other side. The stairs are lethally slippery and almost everyone fell on the way down. (I didn’t!)
On the Pingxi Railway Line tracks heading towards Shifen
At the tracks you can go left to get to Dahua 大華 and right to Shifen 十分. We turned right and shortly arrived at the Shifen Waterfall. It’s $80 to get in to see the falls, but we’d seen enough water and waterfalls and instead made our way to the town of Shifen to catch the train back to Taipei.
They have sky lanterns in Shifen too!
Practicalities
Trains – You can get a train from Taipei directly to Sandiaoling, but the trains are not very frequent and so it’s best to check the timetable first. Make sure you select “all types” under train types or you won’t get any results.
Coming back you need to take the Pingxi Branch Line to Ruifang and then change to get back to Taipei. Again the trains can be quite infrequent and it’s a good idea to print out the timetable in advance.
Technically it’s illegal to walk on the tracks but everyone does it. Take care, keep an eye out for trains and keep the timetable handy so you know when it’s safe to enter the tunnels.
In the winter when it rains, you don’t get that much water and so it’s OK. However I would avoid coming here in the summer on a rainy day.
Wow! Thanks for the tips! I am going to follow your trails next week. Cheers!
I can almost feel the cold air and waterfall.
thanks for sharing with us
Athena
Trail looks amazing!
Do you have any recommendations when you arrive by own transportation?
Mariska
It’s not easy to get to by your own transport. The train station isn’t serviced by a road. You could try park on the opposite side of the river and then crossing over by the rail line. Have a look at the google map for directions.
Or you could alternatively drive to Pingxi and then catch the train out to Sandiaoling.
Hi! Easy directions to Sandiaoling by road: at Shihfen’s traffic lights head right on Highway 2-bing to Shuangxi. In Shuangxi, follow signs to Jioufen and Ruiefang; this will put you on County Road 102. After the 27,5k marker on this road, veer left onto Taipei Route 37 (Hou Mu Highway) and turn left again exactly 2,3km later. This turn-off is totally unmarked – you will reach Sandiaoling Village another 3,7km later, where you will see a sign for the first time. It’s about two hours’ drive from Taipei. From the village you can cross the railway bridge to the old elementary school and the trailhead.
I’d really like to try this hike! How easy is it to find the trail from the station? How easy it to follow the trail along the way? If I just take a copy of your description is it likely I’ll get through without getting lost? Thanks!
To get to the waterfalls you shouldn’t have any problems finding the trail. After that is gets a bit complicated. Look out for hiking tags and signs to 大華 or 十分. At the small village walk past the small pavilion and then bear to the left. You should be OK from there.
[...] went to hike from Sandiaoling to see waterfalls. Sandiaoling Waterfalls I passed by Sandiaoling station using the Pingxi tourist [...]
Hi! I really like the pictures.. just want to check, to get to the trail I just need to stop at Sandiaoling station and there will be signs leading to the trail?
Also, how long did you guys take to complete it? and what time did you guys reach the place?
Lastly, is it possible if i wear slippers for the trail?
Hope to hear from you soon!
You need to follow the tracks for a bit, go under the tracks and then follow them again for 200m. Look for an activity centre on the right that used to be a hospital. The trail is marked from there.
Stu
[...] trail for a while now. I’d read about it on Richard Saunders’ blog here and Stu Dawson’s blog here. It appeared to be a relatively easy hike without a lot of long climbs yet with a lot of scenic [...]