Neidong Waterfall is a beautiful scenic forest area in Wulai District of New Taipei. Here, for a small entrance fee, you can enjoy one of the most picturesque trails in northern Taiwan. It is an easy, family-friendly hike that is pretty much flat, stroller friendly, and wheelchair friendly, with bathrooms on both ends of the trail. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Taipei.
Planning your trip to Wulai? Here are some top travel tips for you:
Background:
Wulai was originally an Atayal aborigine village; its name means hot and poisonous. There have always been natural hot springs in Wulai, but much of that water has been channeled into hotels and public bathhouses. The free hot springs stood at the bottom of the hill next to the river and was a collection of used hot spring water from the hotels and paid hot springs above. In its prime, it boasted the largest free outdoor hot springs in Taiwan. Recently the District of Wulai in New Taipei has become a major tourist attraction, partly because of its close proximity to Taipei. It has museums, waterfalls, a gondola, a train, an old street night market, and most of all hot springs. The main delicacies on the old street are Taiwan's ingenuous foods such as wild boar meat and rice steamed in bamboo. Neidong Waterfall is 19 meters high at its largest sheer drop, and Neidong Falls is composed of multiple tiers of falls. It's highest point sits at 800 meters above sea level, and drops to 230 meters above sea level. The waterfall is also about 10 meters wide. Wusha Waterfall is also about 20 meters high and is an impressive sight along the trail. The trail was closed in 2015 due to damage from Typhoon Soudelor and was reopened in 2018. Hours: 8 AM to 5 PM. You can book tickets to Neidong Forest Recreation Area on Klook here or KKday here. Price: Neidong Waterfall Forest Recreation Area: 80 NT per person on holidays or 65 NT per person on weekdays. You can book tickets to Neidong Forest Recreation Area on Klook here or KKday here. Difficulty: Easy. The hike takes about 1.5 hours round trip or 2 KM (1 KM one way) to the waterfall. This path is paved and is wheelchair and stroller friendly. There is also a longer circular route up the mountain that takes about 3 hours ( 6KM one way). Tours and Activities: You can book a Taiwan Wulai Aboriginal Tribe afternoon Tour on TripAdvisor here. You can also book a tour of Wulai on KKday here. You can also book a ticket on the Wulai Train on Klook here, or a river tracing experience in Wulai on Klook here, or SUP paddleboarding experience in Wulai on KKday here, hot spring baths on Klook here or KKday here, on or tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here. Hotels in Wulai: There are many hot spring hotels in Wulai that have a hot spring tub right in the room. We have stayed at and recommend Wulai SungLyu Hot Spring Resort, which is a hot spring resort with great views just above Wulai Old Street. You can book on Booking.com here, Agoda here, Hotels.com here, TripAdvisor here, Trip.com here, Klook here, Kayak here, or Expedia 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 central Taipei, take bus 849 to Neidong Waterfall. The trips takes about an hour and a half. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on a bus to Wulai on Klook here or KKday here. You can also book a Taipei travel pass on Klook here. By Car: From Taipei, take provincial highway 9甲 to Wulai. There is a large free parking lot in front of the visitor's center. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Klook here or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD on Klook 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 Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. Map: Please see below of the places covered in this blog: Drone Videos:
Check out our drone video below for an overview of the area above.
You can also check out our Youtube Shorts video above.
You can check out our other Youtube shorts video above.
See a 360 degree panorama of the waterfall above or here.
Our Journey: I have been to Neidong Waterfall only once. It is an easy, family-friendly hike that is pretty much flat, stroller friendly, and wheelchair friendly, with bathrooms on both ends of the trail. It is a fun hike for the whole family with great views. 
After you pass Xinxian Police Station (信賢派出所), past Wulai Waterfall, you will come to this colorful intersection. Here you should take a left down into the valley.
You can also take a taxi here from Wulai Waterfall or Wulai Old Street for about 300 NT, or 700 NT to get back to Xindian MRT station.
2：51 PM: we arrived at the parking lot. There is plenty of free parking here, but it may get full during busy holiday times. There is also a nice wooden boardwalk along the river here.
I think in the past parking was paid but probably not enough people parked here often enough, so they made it free. 
Another view looking down the river.
View looking at the visitor's center. There are bathrooms here and drinking water dispensers.
Neidong Waterfall Forest Recreation Area: 80 NT per person on holidays or 65 NT per person on weekdays.
You can book tickets to Neidong Forest Recreation Area on Klook here or KKday here. 
Map of the area, with warm drinking water machines shown.
You can buy tickets at the counter or via these ticketing machines.
You can also book tickets to Neidong Forest Recreation Area for a discount on Klook here or KKday here. 
Map of Luohao Dam 羅好水壩
2：54 PM: We hit the trail. As you can see from the map above, you can take the flat blue trail which will take about half an hour to walk to the waterfall, or you can take the harder red trail which will take about an hour and a half to get to the waterfall.
There is another little shack here where you have to show your ticket.
The path here is paved.
You can take the easy route or the scenic trail which is harder.
Here there is a small pavilion where you can enjoy views of Wusha Creek Falls 烏紗溪瀑布.
Another view of Wusha Creek Falls 烏紗溪瀑布.
"Wusha Creek is a tributary of the Nanshi River. Since the creek has less water flow than the river and the downcutting erosion of the bed is slower, the gap in elevation between the beds of the two is increasing constantly. This is what has formed the pretty little Wusha Creek Waterfall where the two streams come together. Continue along the Waterfall View Trail and you will come to the more impressive Neidong Waterfall, which has a much different appearance than the Wusha River Waterfall. Each has its unique attraction.
Located near the Neidong Waterfall, the Wusha Creek Waterfall is smaller and features a gentler flow of water. In addition that streams have large drops in elevation and thus many waterfalls, indicating the speed of the Wusha Creek Waterfall, which was formed by a difference in the speed of downcutting in the main stream and tributaries, are formed by the resulting differences in elevation between hard and soft rock." 
View of the river through the brush.
Luohao Dam 羅好水壩 
The name Luohao comes from the Atayal word kahaw, which means “a trap placed on trees to catch flying squirrels.” The dam was built in 1947, and a radial floodgate was added in 1963 and an inlet was built to direct water into a 4,740-meter tunnel to the Wulai Power Plant. The drop in elevation was used to generate hydroelectricity—and is still used to supply power during periods of peak and emergency demand. The spectacular dam has become one of Neidong’s top tourist sights.
Another view of the dam.
The path continues along the dam here.
Behind the dam, the Nanshi River is a beautiful turquoise color.
Another wide view of the dam.
The scenery here is gorgeous.
Another view of the trees hanging over the water.
Traditional bamboo hut to rest under.
Another view of the Nanshi River.
View of Luohao Dam via drone.
Another view of the Nanshi River.
There is another toilet here if needed.
You can walk down closer to the riverside or stay above.
Soon, you will come to a bridge looking over Neidong Waterfall.
First view of Neidong Waterfall from the bridge.
Another view of Neidong Waterfall.
Full view of the river.
The water here then washes into the Nanshi River.
Clear water flows into the mirky Nanshi River.
Another view of the bridge and the waterfall.
Full aerial view of Neidong Falls.
View looking straight down from the air.
Another view from the bridge here.
Forest Therapy
Through the process of being in a forest environment, the five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and feeling, interact with the natural environment. Experience the rhythm and movement of nature. You can move your arms and legs, and make your body strong and healthy. What’s more, you can feel that tension flowing away from you. That’s good for your body, mind, and spirit, and helps prevent sickness. The Riparian Ecology The varied species found along a stream provide rich food resources for the amphibians, birds, and mammals living there, creating a complex stream and forest ecosystem. The World in the Water The Nanshi River is called Liyung Mstaranan in the indigenous Tayal language. The Nanshi Watershed provides tap water to Greater Taipei, so it is a protected area to maintain water purity. Aquatic biodiversity is high, with various species of mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and damselflies. There are also many unique species of fish, crawdaddies, crabs, as well as a wide variety of snails and mollusks. 
Another map of the area, showing the high mountain optional loop.
Further up the trail, there are some steps to a platform to get a better view of the falls.
Closer view of the upper falls.
Time-lapse version.
View of the lower falls through the trees.
Another view of the lower falls.
View of the bridge below.
There is also a longer circular route up the mountain that takes about 1.5 hours to get back ( 6KM one way).
Another view of the Nanshi River as we came back.
Last view of Luohao Dam. This is also a great place to take a photo.
You can see more photos in the slideshow above.
Xinxian Suspension Bridge 信賢吊橋 
If you want an even longer nature walk, you can start down the road at Xinxian Suspension Bridge 信賢吊橋 which is about 2 KM downriver from Neidong. The trail across the river connects up to the Neidong Visitor's center.
View from Xinxian Suspension Bridge 信賢吊橋.
Wulai Waterfall is the highest waterfall in northern Taiwan. Here you can find a street with snacks and restaurants and a gondola that leads to a second tier of the waterfall and an amusement park. In addition, there are hikes, wildlife, and endless mountain scenery to explore...(read more)
You can book tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here. You can book a Taiwan Wulai Aboriginal Tribe afternoon Tour on TripAdvisor here. You can book a tour of Wulai on KKday here. You can also book a ticket on the Wulai Train on Klook here, or a river tracing experience in Wulai on Klook here. You can check out our full guide to Wulai Waterfall here. Wulai Old Street 烏來老街 
Wulai Old Street has become a major tourist attraction, partly because of its close proximity to Taipei. It has museums, waterfalls, a gondola, a train, an old street night market, and most of all hot springs. It has an old Japanese era coal mining railroad track which has been restored with a working train. In addition there are hikes, wildlife, and endless mountain scenery to explore...(read more)
You can book a Taiwan Wulai Aboriginal Tribe afternoon Tour on TripAdvisor here. You can book a tour to Wulai on KKday here. You can also book a ticket on the Wulai Train on Klook here, or a river tracing experience in Wulai on Klook here. Check out our full guide to Wulai here. Check out our guide to Taipei’s Waterfalls here. Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here. Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei here. Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here. Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
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Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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