Hot Spring Camping: Sileng Waterfall

Credit: Dustin Craft

The hot spring is nice, but the best parts of this adventure were the campsite and hike. Unlike Galahe, the trail on this one is beautiful: no stairs! The second half is almost like a miniature version of Wuliaojian with a few scrambles, jumps and repels. It’s so much fun, but exhausting especially when wearing nothing but a bathing suit in the freezing cold.

We weren’t thinking and left all the water and snacks back at camp before continuing on to the hot spring, so after an hour of mountaineering and an hour soaking in sulfurous hot water, we were beat. Upon getting back, I crawled into my tent to huddle up with water and a protein bar until (finding that I couldn’t blackmail anyone into it) felt human enough to start the stove and make some tea.

Credit: Ryan Hevern

From the trail head at the road to the hot spring is about an hour total, but the campsite is located right in the middle. It’s misleading because the first half of the trail is easy, but the second half to the hot spring is more challenging and a bit longer. There’s also a chance that being cold and dehydrated on the return trip are making it seem worse than it really was.

The hot spring itself is small, making it difficult to spread out and you’ve got to feel around for the best spot. I definitely missed the fire hot water and pools at Galahe, but it was still nice. Everything’s wild, green and beautiful. The warmest place to be is in the little crawlspace behind the waterfall. Someone can sit in there and have a private natural sulphur-infused hot box. It’s awesome, especially on a cold winter day after just crossing a freezing river.

Credit: Dustin Craft

To get to the hot spring, everyone must cross a roaring, leg-numbing river. You’re thigh high in freezing blue water doing its best to push you downstream and it’s so cold you can’t feel your feet. (That was fun.) We watched quite a few people stumble and fall completely in. (No thank you.) In the summer, it would be great though and there is a rope to hold, so no one actually gets carried away.

The campsite is nestled in the middle of the woods with large clear tent spaces and a huge fire pit. A few of us spent the following morning lazing around in hammocks, looking at trees and reading books. Our guide mentioned that this is one of the best wild campsites around and I would agree. Of course, the screaming deer that woke everyone up at 6:30 in the morning were cute, but I’d definitely rather have them than a car alarm.

Getting Around

It’s about two hours outside of Taipei down winding mountain roads. You need wheels, so of course joining up with a group is the best way to go. I went with TAO and I think they take regular trips out there. Honestly, even with my own car, I’d probably still sign up with them. It’s a good group, with good food, people and lots of fun. We cooked steak, veggies and s’mores right on the fire and ate like kings for about four hours straight till bedtime.

Hot Spring Camping: Galahe Waterfall

Photo Credit: Ryan Hevern

There’s a natural waterfall hot spring in the middle of the mountains where you can have with some quality nap time. Just snuggle up to the hot rocks and relax in the warm water while trying to figure out the difference between things you can and can’t change to the tune of the waterfall in front of you.

The waterfall itself isn’t hot, but there are two steaming small streams flanking it. Don’t touch them. They are super-hot, but create perfect bath water when mixed with the chilly mountain falls. It’s amazing that something like this formed naturally. (Thank you nature.) Spots like this actually riddle Taiwan, averaging three per county. For real, my winters just got a lot better.



Even more incredible is that the hot spring has a natural set of tiered pools. Of course, the top one just beneath the falls is the hottest, but the two below are still warm and make for nice secluded spots out of sight from people hanging out above.

Most people don’t camp, so we had the spot entirely to ourselves in the evening and then again the next morning. Surprisingly though, we weren’t the last ones out of the pools on the first day. As we were getting out and prepping for the run back to camp, a lone hiker showed up as it was getting dark. He made sure we were leaving and followed up with: “Good. I want to be naked.”

Not going to lie, the weather was miserable: constantly spitting rain and the lowest temperatures of the year, but it was perfect hot spring weather. The issue was getting to the hot spring. We had to change into our suits at camp and then bolt for the freezing river, which had to be crossed getting to and from the pools.



Being dedicated to warmth and s'mores, we all took turns nursing the fire for four hours straight before bed. We literally forced it to burn with constant fanning and tissues. The stupid thing burned through an entire log and never caught. That’s ok though. The effort kept us warm and we got our s’mores. I know at least one person in the group ate five :)

The campsite itself was cozy, surrounded by jungle and within hearing distance of the river, so we all slept to the soundtrack of running water. Apparently, lots of people had to step out of their tents during the night. It was rocky though and a few of us woke up with small mountains digging into our hips.



Also the route to the campsite was a 700? meter hell that consisted of steep sketchy, slippery switchbacks and stairs, but we did it. It took an eternity of strenuous baby steps to keep from falling on the way down and our gear got a wet, but it was worth it. Between going down and climbing back up again, none of us needed to see the inside of a gym for at least a week.

That’s it! Put the phone on airplane mode and enjoy. With river tracing in the summer and hot spring camping in the winter, Taiwan is shaping up to be a nature lover’s dream. I might not leave guys.

Getting Around

It’s two hours outside the city down a winding mountain road in Yilan, so you need your own wheels or to partner with a group. I joined Taiwan Adventure Outings and loved it. Going with them also made my pack lighter because I didn’t have to worry about food or cooking supplies. They charge a bit, but the price includes a car rental, meals and good company. Our guide, Ryan, was nice, knowledgeable and knew what he was doing, which came in handy around the time we had to carve our own chopsticks to eat with. I’ve been out with them a few times and it’s always a blast.