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.