Ruilong Falls

Of the 12 or so waterfalls I’ve been to so far in Taiwan, this is the biggest and most beautiful. To get there, you need to cut down to the river BEFORE the bridge. From there, trace up the river(when I went, May 9 2020, there was actually construction being done and it was possible to walk the entire way along a road to the base of the waterfall).

It was great in 2017. You could swim next to the waterfall.nnDon’t waste your time or money now. The walk is very short, and you can’t see the waterfall very well.

Be careful not to go the wrong way. The correct navigation destination should be Ruilong Falls Parking Lot. That parking lot will bring you to the correct entrance. If you proceed directly to Ruilong Waterfalls, you will waste 2-3 hours driving to nowhere. Parking lot holds about 30 cars and has bathroom at the parking lot and final waterfalls destination. There is entrance fee 50twd and it’s cheaper for nantou residents. Trials are not that bad, some parts slippery due to slopes, so well shoes with good traction. Monkeys are above the trees, don’t feed them or else they become aggressive.

It used to be the best place to go swimming. The decked walking path above the river is gone (burned down) but you can still walk by following the river below, a little risky, but worth it to see the waterfall. Now it is under construction, so the the pond that we used to swim has been filled in. They also destroyed the small waterfall that fed the lower pool (in which people swam in and sunbathed around of. Truly sad to see the crane literally breaking the lower waterfall. If you don't mind the hiking around boulders and getting your sneakers wet, you can explore the other side. There is an even better 'pool' and a much larger one further upriver.

nice place very relaxing