Beigang Canyon 北港溪峽谷 and HuiSun Hot Spring 惠蓀溫泉
journal > 2017 > Beigang Canyon 北港溪峽谷 and HuiSun Hot Spring 惠蓀溫泉
journal > 2017 > Beigang Canyon 北港溪峽谷 and HuiSun Hot Spring 惠蓀溫泉
Beigang stream 北港溪 in Beigang Canyon 北港溪峽谷 in Renai Township 仁愛鄉 of Nantou County 南投縣 is a tributary of the Wu River 烏溪, also known as the Dadu River 大肚溪. The Dadu river flows through Taichung 臺中市, Changhua County 彰化縣, and Nantou County 南投縣 for 119 kilometers making it the island's sixth longest river with the fourth largest watershed. Beigang stream 北港溪, a primary tributary of the Dadu River 大肚溪, originates south of Gengmeng mountain 更孟山 at an altitude of 2532 meters. The drainage area collects 70% of its flow during the rainy season from May through September.
There appears to be a horizontal cut in the cliff, perhaps remnants of a road cut into the rock to access and abandoned mine entrance?
Older trip logs show a gravel road running up the gorge along the river. There is almost no sign of this road now, there are spots up on the right bank going up where you can still see the road and walking along it can shorten the hike. There are few places along the trip up the river which could be campsites in the dry season. The slot canyon would likely be impassible during the rainy season. There are numerous small hot springs coming out of the side or from in the river along the beginning and also in the section just before HuiSun Hot Spring which could be built up into pools. The canyon starts out broad, then narrows suddenly after the cliffs.
HuiSun Hot Spring 惠蓀溫泉 is in a small cave in the cliff of the river gorge a couple meters above the river level at the time we visited. The spring cave could hold a small handful of people. The spring water was a deep emerald green with a thick precipitated fine mud base layer which we stirred up. The water temperature is about 50C, and the pH is 8.5. It is a neutral sodium bicarbonate hot spring 中性碳酸氫鈉泉. The source of the water is from cracks in the back of the cave. Maps suggest that exploring the left branch of Beigang stream 北港溪 above HuiSun Hot Spring 惠蓀溫泉 could be interesting.
Beigang Canyon 北港溪峽谷 is in Huisun Forest Area 惠蓀林場 in Renai Township 仁愛鄉 in northern Nantou County 南投縣. The park opens at 8 AM. There are busses to the area from Puli 埔里 and cabins and camp sites are available in the Forest area. From the trail entrance in the park it is a 30-40 minute walk through the park and down to Beigang stream 北港溪. There is an imposing gate at the trail head blocking motor traffic, but the walking path goes around. Some locals manage to get the scooters around to get down to the swimming holes and fishing spots below on the river.
