Gaomei Wetlands 高美濕地

1/2/2025

Gaomei Wetlands in Taichung is one of the best places to see wildlife in Taiwan. Here you can find thousands of intertidal creatures, including crabs, birds, and amphibious fish. The mud flats extend for miles during low tide, creating an intertidal wonderland. There is also a long boardwalk for those who don't want to get their feet wet. It is a must-stop on your next vacation to Taichung.

Background:
The Gaomei Wetlands nature preserve was established in 2005 and covers over 300 hectares, but only covers 1/10th the area of the wetlands in the Dadu River Delta.
In 2015, 6 wind turbines were destroyed here during Typhoon Soudelor.
The wetlands are a popular tourist destination and are very busy on weekends and holidays.

Hours:
24/7

Tours:
You can book a tour to Gaomei Wetlands on Klook here or KKday here.

Hotels in Taichung:
Most of the accommodation you will find is near the city center. If you will only visit downtown, you can consider a day trip from Taipei.
We have stayed at and recommend the Norway Forest Travel Hotel, a convenient hotel right in front of Taichung Station (you can book on Booking.com here, Agoda here, or compare prices on Kayak here), and Sin Fu Business Hotel which is also a great value for the money and great quality in downtown Taichung (you can book on Agoda here or compare prices on Kayak here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get there:
By Bus: From Qingshui TRA station, you can take bus 179 to the wetlands. You can also book a Taichung sightseeing bus on KKday here.
By Car/ Scooter: From Central Taichung, follow National Highway 4 west toward Qingshui, and turn underneath Expressway 61 until you reach Gaomei Road, and keep following it until you reach the wetlands on the coast.
Looking for scooter rental in Taichung? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Market Biking Tour in Taichung on Klook here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.

Map: Please see below:

Our Journey:

We have been to Gaomei Wetlands once and had a great time. I recommend visiting during sunset and at low tide when you can see the most intertidal critters.

You can book a tour to Gaomei Wetlands on Klook here or KKday here.

See above for a video of the wildlife we saw there.

Map of the area for reference.

Giant crab statue at the visitor's center.

Tourists enjoying the boardwalk at Gaomei Wetlands.

From the main parking lot, you have to walk along the levee here to get to the main boardwalk.

View of wind turbines in the distance.

Painting on the levee.

Lots of Ubike stations here.

View of the boardwalk from afar.

No drone flying allowed here.

Crowds of people enjoying nature along the curvy boardwalk.

Looking back at the entrance to the boardwalk.

You can see more photos to the entrance in the gallery above.

Mudskipper at Taichung's Gaomei Wetlands. These fish actually spend most of their time on land.

You can see more photos of the fish in the gallery above.

Taiwanese Fiddler Crab at Gaomei Wetlands.

White Egret looking for a meal.

More photos of Egrets in the gallery above.

Kentish plover attacking a crowd of crabs at Gaomei Wetlands.

Another Kentish Plover eating dinner at Gaomei Wetlands

More photos of Kentish Plovers above.

Small blue and white crabs on the beach that cover it like snow.

Thousands of crabs.

More photos of the crabs above.

People wading in the mud flats beyond.

Tons of people on the boardwalk.

Looking at the pedestrian bridge that crosses the wetlands here.

Finally getting to the end of the boardwalk.

People enjoying the wet sand here.

Kids playing in the sand here.

Sunset at Gaomei Wetlands in Shalu District of Taichung. At low tide you can walk to the end of the boardwalk which will take you to an endless stretch of ankle deep water.

Amazing sunset.

Another view of the people here.

Looking back at the shore.

View looking west toward the open ocean.

Mud flats for miles.

You can see more photos of the mud flat area above.

Crowds of people making their way back before sunset.

You can see more photos of the area in the gallery above.

You can book a tour to Gaomei Wetlands on Klook here or KKday here.

There are many tours of Taichung available on KKday here or Klook here, such as an Instagram Day Tour, Historic Downtown and Sun Cake DIY Experience, Taichung Railway Station Walking Tour, Local Market Biking Tour, Aboriginal Food Tour, and much more on KKday here or Klook here.

Be sure to check out our full guide to Taichung here.

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.