Driving the Wulai Log Cart: A Nostalgic Mini-Practice By way of Taiwan’s Forests

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Tucked away within the misty mountains of Wulai District, New Taipei, lies certainly one of Taiwan’s most original and charming points of interest: the Wulai Log Cart (烏來台車)

As soon as used to haul timber in the course of the Japanese colonial interval, this narrow-gauge mini-train now serves a special function—taking curious vacationers on a brief however scenic journey via the forest, alongside a speeding river, and straight towards the well-known Wulai Waterfall.
Wulai Falls as seen from Log Cart terminal

On this weblog, we’ll take you aboard the Wulai Log Cart, clarify the best way to trip it, and share why it’s value together with in your Wulai day journey itinerary.

The Wulai Log Cart isn’t only a vacationer gimmick—it’s a dwelling piece of Taiwan’s industrial historical past. Initially constructed within the early twentieth century to help the world’s thriving logging business, these slender rail tracks had been as soon as full of carts hauling Formosan cypress and camphor bushes.

Wulai Log Cart Welcome Signage

As we speak, they’ve been lovingly preserved and tailored to hold individuals as a substitute of timber.

🛤️ Distance: Round 1.5 km

🚋 Period: ~5 minutes one-way

🎟️ Fare: NT$50 per particular person (one-way)

📍 Route: From Wulai Outdated Road to Wulai Waterfall (or vice versa)

Wulai Log Cart Outdated Road Terminal

Whereas the trip is brief, it’s stuffed with attraction. The practice clanks and rattles because it strikes slowly alongside the tracks, hugging the curves of the riverbank.

As you trip, you’ll move lush bushes, steep ravines, and occasional mist drifting in from the waterfall up forward.

There are two stations:

  • Wulai Station (Outdated Road Terminal) – Situated close to the top of Wulai Outdated Road, subsequent to a small plaza.
  • Waterfall Station (瀑布站) – Located beside the viewing space for Wulai Waterfall and close to the Yun Hsien Cable Automotive.
Wulai Log Cart Outdated Road Terminal within the morning

Most individuals trip the cart from Outdated Road to the Waterfall, and stroll again on foot to benefit from the riverside surroundings at a slower tempo.

The railway is parallel to Pubu Highway the place you can too stroll

📌 Tip: If you wish to skip the uphill stroll to the waterfall, take the cart going one-way uphill and stroll down later—it’s simpler on the legs.

Every log cart has a number of open-air passenger cabins, every simply broad sufficient for two individuals to take a seat facet by facet however can accommodate as much as 10 passengers. The observe is slender and the cabins are small, however that’s a part of the attraction—it seems like stepping right into a classic amusement trip set deep within the woods.

Wulai Log Cart at Waterfall Station

As you depart from the station, the observe runs alongside the turquoise Nanshi River (南勢溪), providing views of rapids and boulders because the forest closes in round you. Birds name out from the bushes and the air grows cooler as you climb in elevation.

Scenic view from the log cart

💡 Images tip: Sit on the left facet when going uphill to get the most effective view of the river and cliffs.

The light chugging of the cart and the clickety-clack of wheels on observe add to the nostalgic vibe. It’s not quick, it’s not flashy—nevertheless it’s splendidly stress-free.

The Wulai Log Cart is very common with households and older guests who need to benefit from the pure great thing about Wulai with out doing an excessive amount of strolling. Children love the open-air trip, and adults typically admire the comfort of skipping the steep 20-minute hike from Outdated Road to the falls.

The trip can be wheelchair-accessible upon request, and the workers are pleasant and useful, typically helping company with boarding and security checks.

Waterfall Station

Sure, completely. For simply NT$50, the Log Cart gives a singular expertise you gained’t discover wherever else in Taiwan. It’s a mix of historical past, nature, and enjoyable—a trip that helps you admire how Wulai developed from a timber city right into a peaceable retreat.

Even for those who’re solely in Wulai for half a day, the Log Cart provides coloration and character to your itinerary. Mix it with the waterfall, the Yun Hsien cable automotive, and a stroll alongside Wulai Outdated Road, and also you’ve bought a well-rounded nature journey simply an hour from downtown Taipei.

Wulai Falls

The Wulai Log Cart is extra than simply transportation—it’s a journey via historical past, tradition, and certainly one of Taiwan’s most scenic landscapes. Whether or not you’re a practice lover, a household traveler, or simply somebody searching for quiet moments within the forest, the Log Cart provides a mild, memorable approach to discover Wulai.

So subsequent time you go to, don’t simply stroll—trip. Let the clicking of the wheels and the sway of the tracks take you again to an easier time, one meter-gauge rail at a time.



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