Without a car, go to Meihua Lake. Two bus routes run there from Luodong, and you can rent a bike at the shore and ride the whole loop. With a car, make it Changpi Lake on the way up to the hot riverbed at Qingshui or to Taipingshan. If you want quiet, fog and water plants rather than pavilions and boat rides, Shuanglianpi is the one, and three buses a day still go there from Yilan City.
Two more are for a different kind of day. Cuifeng Lake sits high up inside Taipingshan, and Mingchi, on the Northern Cross-Island Highway, is closed until the new operator finishes its works.
| Lake | Best for | Without a car |
|---|---|---|
| Meihua Lake (梅花湖), Dongshan | An easy half day, cycling the loop | Bus Green 25 or 281 from Luodong |
| Changpi Lake (長埤湖), Sanxing | A stop on a drive into the mountains | Taxi from Luodong Station |
| Shuanglianpi (雙連埤), Yuanshan | Wetland, mist, wildlife | Bus 753 from Yilan Transfer Station, three a day |
| Cuifeng Lake (翠峰湖), Taipingshan | A full mountain day | Not practical; the park bus stops well short |
| Mingchi (明池), Datong | Closed since 1 March 2026 | n/a |
Meihua Lake: the easy one
Meihua Lake (梅花湖) is about 20 hectares of water in Dongshan (冬山), with hills on three sides, a little island in the middle and a 2.2 km road around the shore that's made for walking or cycling. It was once called Dapi (大埤), "the big pond", and was one of the eighteen classic views of the Lanyang Plain. It got its present name, "plum blossom lake", from its outline, which looks like a five-petal plum flower.
Rent a bike from one of the shops by the lake and ride the loop slowly, keeping an eye on the trees: Formosan macaques, squirrels and night herons live around the shore. Boats also go out on the water. Come early or late in the day for reflections; in drizzle the mist sits on the water, which has its own appeal. It's a little over ten minutes' drive from Luodong, so it pairs well with an afternoon in town and the night market.
- Hours 09:00 to 17:30
- Address No. 1, Dapi Road, Dongshan (冬山鄉得安村大埤路1號)
- Phone 03-961-7267
- Getting there G25 bus Green 25 or 281 bus 281 from Luodong to the Meihua Lake stop (梅花湖站). Dongshan Township's free Dajin line (大進線) bus stops there too. Or a taxi from Luodong Station, a little over ten minutes.
Bus 281 also serves the deer and capybaras at Bambi Land, nearby, which makes this a good half day with kids. → Yilan with kids
Changpi Lake: on the road to the mountains
The Sanxing and Datong page has the background; here's the short version. Changpi Lake (長埤湖) is a long, narrow lake of about 5 hectares at around 200 meters, off Highway 7C (台7丙) at about km 7.6, on the way to Qingshui Geothermal Park and Taipingshan. A flat path runs right round the shore, past pavilions and a fountain, with koi and ducks in the water. Plan on 60 to 90 minutes. It's free to walk around; the Aquaman-themed park and the animal area inside charge separately.
- Hours Every day, 09:00 to 17:00
- Entry Free for the lake, its path and pavilions. The theme park and animal area charge separately.
- Address Section 8, Sanxing Road, Sanxing (三星鄉員山村三星路八段)
- Phone 03-989-3611
- Getting there CAR Car, or a taxi or driver for the day from Luodong Station, along Highway 7C
Shuanglianpi: the wild one
This is the lake to choose if you'd rather watch dragonflies than take a boat ride. Shuanglianpi (雙連埤) lies in a mountain basin in Huxi village, Yuanshan (員山), near the Fushan Botanical Garden. It's a natural lake dammed by an old landslide, in two parts that locals call the upper and lower ponds; the lower one has turned to marsh, and the upper one keeps its water. It's a wildlife reserve, and about a third of Taiwan's aquatic plant species grow here. Between the two ponds is a floating island of plants roughly the size of a football field, which shifts when typhoons come through. Fog often hangs over it all.
There's not much in the way of facilities, and that's the point. Bring water, a rain jacket and insect repellent, and keep to the paths.
- Address Huxi village, Yuanshan (員山鄉湖西村)
- Getting there 753 Kamalan bus 753 from Yilan Transfer Station, by Yilan Station, about 25 minutes, NT$20 cash (less with an EasyCard). Or drive.
Bus 753 runs only three times a day, every day of the week, and two of the three are nine-seat vans, so plan around the timetable:
| Leaves Yilan Transfer Station | Reaches Shuanglianpi | Leaves Shuanglianpi | Back at Yilan Transfer Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:25 (van) | 07:51 | 08:26 | 08:56 |
| 13:00 | 13:26 | 14:01 | 14:31 |
| 16:00 (van) | 16:25 | 17:01 | 17:33 |
Good to know: the bus that takes you up only waits about half an hour before it heads back down. For a proper visit, ride up at 07:25 and come back at 14:01, or go up at 13:00 and come back at 17:01. The times are from Kamalan's timetable as of November 2026; check it again before you go.
Cuifeng Lake: inside Taipingshan
Cuifeng Lake (翠峰湖), at 1,840 meters, is the largest alpine lake in Taiwan, about 25 hectares when it's full, and it's fullest from September to November. It's part of Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area, so you pay the park entry, and it's about 40 minutes' drive beyond Taipingshan Villa. The Kuo-Kuang 1750 bus only goes as far as the villa area, so in practice this is a lake for drivers, or for anyone staying at the lodge by the lake. The Taipingshan page has the tickets, the loop trail around the lake, the weekend car limits during the autumn beech season and the latest road status.
Mingchi: closed until the works finish
Mingchi Forest Recreation Area (明池森林遊樂區) sits at about 1,150 to 1,700 meters on the Northern Cross-Island Highway (Highway 7), around a misty mountain lake known as the "pearl of the Northern Cross-Island Highway", with gardens and a giant tree said to be 1,500 years old. It's a long drive up from the plain.
Closed: Mingchi, Qilan and the Qilan giant tree area have been closed since 1 March 2026, when the previous operator's contract ended. Leofoo took them over from 30 April 2026, and in a notice of 3 July 2026 the Veterans Affairs Council's Wuling Farm said all three are closed for renovation and expected to reopen fully by 29 April 2028. Leofoo says they will open in stages as the works finish. When we checked in November 2026, Leofoo listed its Mingchi lodge as "coming soon" with no opening date, and the county still listed Mingchi as closed.
When to go
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for Changpi and Meihua, when the hills are clear and the water is green. Cuifeng Lake is fullest from September to November. Yilan is a rainy county, so expect drizzle at some point; a lake in the mist is still worth seeing, but stay off mountain roads in heavy rain or after a typhoon. → Yilan's weather month by month
→ Local buses and the tourist shuttle · Waterfalls and hikes · Three days in Yilan · More things to do
Sources: Yilan County tourism (宜蘭勁好玩): Meihua Lake (size, history, hours, address, phone, buses), Changpi Lake (hours, entry, address, phone, visit length), Shuanglianpi Wildlife Reserve, Cuifeng Lake, Mingchi (closure from 1 March 2026), local transport; Kamalan Bus, route 753 timetable and fares; Wuling Farm (VAC) closure notice, 3 July 2026; Leofoo on Qilan and Mingchi, 13 May 2026; Leofoo hotels, Mingchi lodge; Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area, Cuifeng Lake trail. Checked November 2026.