Hiking the Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail

Safety tips for COVID-19: Bring a mask to wear on the train ride to and from Sandiaoling. On nice days, there are parts of this trail where you will have to pass large groups of people. Groups also tend to congregate at the waterfalls, so you might want to plan breaks at other sections of the hike if you want to keep your distance. Starting the hike earlier in the day will help you to avoid the majority of your fellow hikers.

One of the greatest joys of living in Taiwan is having access to abundant, exquisite nature all around the island. Despite being a big, crowded city, Taipei is no exception — and while there are plenty of excellent hikes that are within the city limits (like Elephant Mountain, Tiger Mountain, Jiuwufeng, Jinmianshan, Jiantan, and Yinghe Trails), sometimes it’s worth venturing further afield. Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail is a great example: located in the village of Sandiaoling, just over an hour from Taipei by bus or train, this hike boasts three magnificent waterfalls and an incredible variety of scenery.

Getting to the hike is pretty straightforward. First, make your way to Sandiaoling on a shuttle bus or direct train from Taipei Main Station. The ride is beautiful, with plenty of mountains, forests, and rivers to keep you entertained. Once you’re at the station, follow the pin on Google Maps to make your way to the trailhead. It’s straightforward and leads you along a train track and through some nice scenery.

Once at the trailhead, follow the path for around half an hour until you reach Hegu Waterfall. This is the largest waterfall at 40m in length, but it’s also the furthest away from the path — it is not possible to get closer than this. You can view it and take photos from an observation platform, and there is also a plaque providing more information.

Stay on the path for another 20 minutes, following signs for Motian Waterfall. The forest gets thicker here and starts presenting some more interesting scenery, like this abandoned house.

There are also two suspension bridges, which are popular spots for taking Instagram photos. You may have to wait a few minutes here depending on how popular the hike is that day, as only two people are permitted on the bridge at once.

The path after the bridge is particularly fun to follow, as the nature is varied and beautiful. The forest has a magical feel, especially in misty weather. There are plenty of fish swimming in crystal clear waters, and lots of rocks, roots, and uprooted trees to navigate.

The second waterfall you will reach is Motian Waterfall, which cascades impressively off a cliff. You can view it from a wooden platform, or follow the trail until it turns right at a little junction, and scramble up a short, slippery path that leads just behind the waterfall. This part can be dangerous, so we don’t recommend doing it if it has been raining, or you don’t have appropriate footwear.

If you continue along the path from the wooden platform, you will come to a steep metal staircase.

The staircase gives way to a set of steps that have been hewn into rock, which can be challenging but fun to climb.

Continue along the path, which can be slippery and dangerous (especially when it’s busy) for a short while and you will come to the last waterfall, Pipa Cave Waterfall. While quite similar to Motian Waterfall, it is completely possible to get close to the water, making it a great photo and picnic spot.

There is another great photo spot if you continue upwards, but you may also want to turn back at this stage if you wish to return to Sandiaoling Station. You can also keep going, to join a path that goes to Shifen, Dahua, or Houtong. The climb up is quite fun, with a few ropes to help pull yourself up more rock-hewn stairs.

From the top, you can see the entirety of the waterfall — it’s beautiful!

The path upwards is quite easy, and even has a fun wooden ladder to climb up that can be particularly slippery when wet.

Once you have climbed the ladder, you will come to a large sign showing the different route options. You can follow the Chailiao Trail, which will eventually end up at Houtong Cat Village, or follow signs for Dahua Station. From there, you can take a train to Ruifang, where you can transfer to Taipei. We chose to go to Dahua Station, as it was the fastest way that didn’t double back on itself. Read more about the walk to Houtong here.

At this stage, the path becomes a quiet, paved road.

A word of warning: be sure to keep your eyes peeled for signs to Dahua, as they are absolutely tiny and hard to miss. We missed one, ended up on a road that was blocked by a huge gate, and had to turn back. Don’t let that happen to you!

Follow the signs through the forest and farmland. It is a simple, gentle walk, and very pleasant as long as you don’t end up missing one of the signs and having to double back on yourself.

Eventually, you will come to the gate of Yeren Valley, which looks abandoned, creepy, and home to several stray dogs. The valley was named after a head-hunting aboriginal tribe that used to live there It once had some beautiful hiking trails passing through it, but was sadly destroyed by a typhoon and has never been restored. Head straight for the ticket booth (you can see it in the back of this picture — it has a pretty green mural on it) and take the path immediately to its right. There is a brief climb up, after which you will descend some extremely slippery stone steps. Be careful!

After you reach the bottom, the trail will cross a large bridge. Keep following the path across the bridge to the stairs on the other side, which will lead you to the railway tracks. You can turn left here and head for Dahua Station, or continue on to Shifen Station.

Overall, we highly recommend Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail as a day trip from Taipei. It’s a fun, varied hike that doesn’t require a high fitness level, although there are definitely places where you have to scramble. The waterfalls and surrounding area are very beautiful and provide endless opportunities for taking photos. In addition to this, you will find yourself relatively close to Houtong Cat Village, Shifen, Jiufen, and Keelung, which all merit a visit for different reasons.

What’s the vibe?

Beautiful trail with three waterfalls. There are challenging parts due to obstacles, but overall it is not very physically challenging.

Worth it?

Absolutely! It’s not expensive to get to, and it’s totally worth the hour’s train ride. There are lots of other things to do in the area, which means you can easily extend it to become a full day outing.

Would you go back?

Yes! Next time we would try walking all the way to Houtong or Shifen.

Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail

Chinese Name: 三貂嶺步道

Hours: Open 24/7

English Address: No.107, Yuyu Road, Ruifang District, New Taipei City

Chinese Address: 新北市瑞芳區魚寮路107號