Xinliao Waterfall (新寮瀑布 [Xīnliáo Pùbù])

Dongshan Township / Su'ao / Luodong Township, Yilan County, Taiwan

About Xinliao Waterfall (新寮瀑布 [Xīnliáo Pùbù])

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Xinliao Waterfall (新寮瀑布 [Xīnliáo Pùbù]; some signage also spelled this “Sinliao Waterfall” or “New Liao Waterfall”) was our excuse to visit the southern end of Yilan County.

Even though the signage suggested that this waterfall was 30m tall, I’m guessing it was more like a modestly-sized 15-20m waterfall.

Xinliao_Waterfall_064_11012016 - Xinliao Waterfall
Xinliao Waterfall

That said, our experience was more memorable due to the trail scenery and the weather as opposed to the modestly-sized waterfall itself.

Actually, we had intended to visit the nearby Jiuliao Waterfall (舊尞瀑布 [Jiùliáo Pùbù]; “Old Liao Waterfall”) together with this falls.

However, the bad weather prevented us from doing that due to swollen creek crossings.

Anyways, as you can see from the picture above, the Xinliao Waterfall was quite attractive in its own right even if the sour weather made the scenery a bit more moody.

Xinliao_Waterfall_075_11022016 - Close-up look at the Xinliao Waterfall in high flow from the rain
Close-up look at the Xinliao Waterfall in high flow from the rain

The experience was also a bit more adventurous than what I’d imagine a typical visit to this waterfall would be like on a more benign day.

Restructuring the Xinliao Waterfall Trail

Getting to the Xinliao Waterfall was a pretty straightforward affair.

We essentially hiked on a 1km mostly flat trail largely composed of wood chips, gravel, and dirt (with the occasional rock surface).

This trail surfacing was actually a major departure from the Asian tendency to have concrete or asphalt trails (often enabling some women to visit waterfalls like this in high heels).

Xinliao_Waterfall_008_11012016 - Mom on the pleasantly naturesque trail to the Xinliao Waterfall
Mom on the pleasantly naturesque trail to the Xinliao Waterfall

I suspect that the damage and landscape changes from Typhoon Parma in 2009 made the authorities re-evaluate the way trails were constructured.

Therefore, this new, more minimalist naturesque approach (which was more in line with what we’re used to in America) was the more cost-effective method.

After all, with the increase in frequency and intensity of typhoons due to Global Warming, all that investment in paving and going overboard with the conveniences on the walking surface would likely be undone with the next flood.

Moreover, on a rainy day like when we were here, this also meant that the trail wasn’t as slippery as it would be had it been all concrete.

Xinliao_Waterfall_028_11012016 - The Xinliao Waterfall Trail pretty much followed along the Xinliao Stream, which had some intermediate cascades
The Xinliao Waterfall Trail pretty much followed along the Xinliao Stream, which had some intermediate cascades

It would also be more forgiving on our knees.

On top of all that, they also regulated the amount of hikers on this trail by limiting it to 350 people per day.

Fortunately for us, we didn’t have to worry about that restriction since the rain kept most people away when we checked in at the trailhead.

The Xinliao Waterfall Trail Description

As the Xinliao Waterfall Trail meandered alongside the southern banks of the raging Xinliao Stream (新寮溪 [Xīnliáo Xī]), we were flanked by tall green mountains with low clouds hugging and obscuring their tops.

Xinliao_Waterfall_015_11012016 - The Xinliao Waterfall Trail passing by this 'Landscape Planting Area' on a particularly flat and flood-prone stretch, where the trail momentarily split before rejoining later on
The Xinliao Waterfall Trail passing by this ‘Landscape Planting Area’ on a particularly flat and flood-prone stretch, where the trail momentarily split before rejoining later on

In a way, this moody scenery reminded us of the kind of scenery depicted in Chinese watercolor landscape art.

The mostly flat trail meant that even with the rain, it was pretty easy to enjoy the walk with an umbrella or rain poncho.

Throughout the hike, we saw numerous interpretive signs discussing things like the effect of Typhoon Parma, the eco-friendly focus of the trail, the area’s recovery since the trail was re-opened, and the flora and fauna that called this area home.

There was even a “Landscape Planting Area” where many flowers and plants were grown in an open area.

Xinliao_Waterfall_048_11012016 - Moody scenery as we approached the Xinliao Waterfall
Moody scenery as we approached the Xinliao Waterfall

Prior to this re-planting zone, this area would otherwise have been a featureless clearing filled with leftover debris from the flood that swept through here during Typhoon Parma.

After about 25 minutes, we started to get distant views of the Xinliao Falls, including the one featured at the top of this page.

The further along the trail we went, the more it became rockier (though still very tame).

The very end of the trail involved walking on an elevated boardwalk leading right to the misty lookout deck in front of the Xinliao Waterfall.

Xinliao_Waterfall_089_11022016 - Context of the boardwalk leading to the viewing platform in front of the Xinliao Waterfall
Context of the boardwalk leading to the viewing platform in front of the Xinliao Waterfall

While the falls was kind of underwhelming up close, there was no denying the somewhat raging personality it took on given the heavy rains during our visit.

After having our fill of this spot, we returned the way we came (with a slightly different detour at the Landscape Planting Area).

That brought the total hiking distance to 2km and the amount of time spent away from the car at a little over an hour.

Authorities

The Xinliao Waterfall resides near the city of Dongshan in Yilan County, Taiwan. It may be administered by the Yilan County Government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting this website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.

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Tagged with: dongshan, suao, su'ao, yilan, county, northern taiwan, eastern taiwan, taiwan, waterfall



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.