Xiaoyoukeng 小油坑

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Xiaoyoukeng in Yangmingshan National Park is a large volcanic steam vent area with hiking trails, fumaroles, sulfur deposits, and natural hot springs. Even though the name means "small sulfur hole," it is perhaps the largest and most easily accessible volcanic steam vent area in Taiwan. One could say that it is the Yellowstone of Taiwan.  It is a quiet a pleasant stop on the mountain and worth a visit on your trip to Yangmingshan. 

Background:
The area known as Yangmingshan now was formed by volcanoes about 700,000 years ago, forming many mountains about 1000 meters or less in northwestern Taiwan. The park still features active volcanoes, vents, and hot springs.
The original name of the area was Caoshan (grass mountain 草山). During the Qing Dynasty, the area was used to harvest sulfur, and many of the hills were burned to help catch sulfur thieves. 
In 1927 during the Japanese era, Yangmingshan was made as the first national park in Taiwan, then known as Datunshan National Park Association. 
In 1950 after the ROC took Taiwan Chiang Kai-shek renamed the park after the philosopher Wang Yangming, and called the area Yangmingshan. 
In 1985, after resolving many land disputes, Yangmingshan National Park was officially designated as a national park in the ROC era. 
Xiaouyoukeng (literally "Small Oil Crater" gets its name because the there are two main sulfur vents on Yangmingshan, and it was thought to be the smaller one.  The venting crater lies about 805 meters above sea level. A few kilometers under the ground, there is a leftover lava chamber from a previous eruption that heats up ground water and sends it spewing back to the surface.
It is a popular stop in Yangmingshan and has two parking lots and visitor's center. It is also one of the starting points for the Mt. Qixing Trail. 

Hours:
The visitor's center is open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM.
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Price:
Free
(parking 30 NT)
You can book tours to Yangmingshan on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here or here.

Tours:
You can check out tours to Yangmingshan such as a One-day Yangmingshan NP Beitou Hot Spring Park and Tamsui Tour Package,  Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour from Taipei, One Day Hike around Yangmingshan, or Private Yangmingshan Volcano Tour and more on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

Hotels in Taipei:
High end: We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). 
We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Budget Hotels: We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com 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 Car/Scooter: From Taipei, take provincial highway 2A north to the Zhizihu Lookout. Keep right until you reach the turnoff the the Xiaoyoukeng parking lot on the right. Car parking is limited on weekends and the number of cars allowed up the mountain is also limited. There is also paid scooter parking. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? Check out Qeeq here, 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 Bus: From Beitou MRT Station, Take Little Bus 9 (小9) to Xiaoyoukeng Station (小油坑). You can book tickets to travel to Taipei via inter-city bus 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. 
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Map:
Please see below: 

Our Journey:

I have been to Xiaoyoukeng about four times. It is really one of the most impressive natural sights in Taiwan, and it really reminded me a lot of Yellowstone National Park in the US. It is definitely worth a stop on Yangmingshan. 

Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area. Please note the above footage was taken with permission of Yangmingshan National Park. 

360 degree view of Xiaoyoukeng crater in Yangmingshan National Park. #小油坑 #陽明山國家公園

Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在臺灣 on Monday, June 8, 2020

Or check out the 360 degree spherical panorama above. Please note the above footage was taken with permission of Yangmingshan National Park. 

Coming up from Zhuzihu you can see Xiaoyoukeng clearly from the roadside. 

This is the view from Xiaoyoukeng from the road to Datunshan. You can see here it lies at the bottom of Mt. Qixing. 

Another view of Xiaoyoukeng at Sunset. It is a really big hole.

The weather at Xiaoyoukeng can change in an instant. One minute it can be sunny, the next totally foggy. The parking lot is big but on weekends it can get full easily.

Another view from the road below.

There is a small nature trail into the crater that you can finish walking in less than five minutes.

There are lots of signs and ralings here so you don't fall in.

The trail doesn't go all the way in the crater, but close.

You can see clearly from the trail the fumaroles or sulfur vents and the whole place smells like rotten eggs.

There are a few places that are constantly putting out steam.

Also there are a few boiling puddles with hot spring water, that are much too hot to touch. You can see the boiling water above.

The trail cuts into two paths so you can see the sulfur vents clearly.

Steam vent coming right out of the rocks.

Another steam vent in the grass.

More steam vents across the crater.

Looking toward Zhuzihu at sunset.

Looking down at the main steam vent which is ofcourse off limits.

Last view of the steam vent

Don't forget the trail to Mt. Qixing goes over Xiaoyoukeng. 

Xiaoyoukeng is definitely a unique geological feature in Xiaoyoukeng and I hope you can come visit soon.

Just a short walk down from Xiaoyoukeng you can also see Qixing Waterfall right from the side of the road.

Xiaoyoukeng is also the easiest starting point to climb Qixingshan, the tallest mountain in Yangmingshan National Park. It is only about a 30 minute walk away to the top.

Also in Yangmingshan National Park you can find Dayoukeng. The Dayoukeng Crater in Yangmingshan National Park would likely be the first place to spew lava in the event of a volcanic eruption. This along with Turtle Island are the two known active volcanos in Taiwan. Currently access to Dayoukeng is closed, but you can fly a drone hear with a permit.
Sulfur mining at Dayoukeng Crater in Yangmingshan National Park started in the Qing Dynastty and ended with the formation of Yangmingshan National Park. Currently access to Dayoukeng is closed due to rockfalls and hot temperatures, but you can fly a drone hear with a permit.

And don't forget to visti Zhuzihu which is also right next to Xiaoyoukeng, especially during flower season. 

You can check out tours to Yangmingshan such as a One-day Yangmingshan NP Beitou Hot Spring Park and Tamsui Tour Package,  Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour from Taipei, One Day Hike around Yangmingshan, or Private Yangmingshan Volcano Tour and more on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

Check out our full guide to Yangmingshan National Park here. 

Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here. 

Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei 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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