# Bohodei Waterfall

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Crișana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/crisana) › [Bihor County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/bihor) › [Pietroasa](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/pietroasa)

> A waterfall of about 80 m on the Bohodei stream, below the peak of the same name, regarded as the tallest in the Apuseni Mountains; reached on a demanding loop from Pietroasa with chain-equipped rock sections.

**At a glance:** Waterfalls in Pietroasa, Bihor County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 6 – 6½ hours. Information verified on 4 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — An open-air site with no opening hours and no ticket. The Bohodei loop is closed in winter, according to the official Apuseni Natural Park trail sheet, and may only be walked in the marked direction. Set off in the morning: the full loop from Pietroasa takes 6–6½ hours, and the chain sections should not be done in the dark or in the rain.
- **Ticket:** Free — no fee for the trail
- **Visit duration:** 6 – 6½ hours — full loop from Pietroasa
- **With kids:** No — rock passages with chains
- **Best season:** June – October — trail closed in winter
- **Address:** Aleu valley, on the Bohodei loop (blue-triangle waymarks), starting from Pietroasa village, Pietroasa, Bihor County
- **Coordinates:** 46.6534, 22.6394
- **Phone:** +40 372 702 242
- **Website:** https://www.parcapuseni.ro/turism/trasee-turistice
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohodei_River
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4938191
- **Categories:** [Waterfalls](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascade), [Mountains and trails](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/munti-si-trasee)

## About Bohodei Waterfall

Bohodei Waterfall lies on the Bohodei stream, a left-bank tributary of the Aleu, on the western slopes of the Vlădeasa Mountains, below Bohodei peak (1,654 m). The water does not fall freely but slides down a sloping slab of rock in a series of steps, over a drop of about 80 m. Bihor County Council and the Apuseni Natural Park administration describe it as the tallest waterfall in the Apuseni Mountains.

The setting is wild and far from any road: the waterfall is in the commune of Pietroasa, inside Apuseni Natural Park, on a loop marked with a blue triangle that starts in the village, climbs the Aleu valley and returns down the Șerpilor valley. The loop section proper, around the waterfall, is only about 4 km long but it is the hardest part: three steep rock passages fitted with chains.

### What you can see

The path leaves the forest track in the Aleu valley and climbs beside the stream to the foot of the falls, then scrambles up right next to them on the rock, so you see the steps from several angles as you climb. In good weather the water shines on the sloping rock like a long veil, and the flow is strongest in late spring and after rain. Once out of the rocky section, the trail continues through the forest to the Bohodei saddle on the Vlădeasa ridge and descends through Poiana Boiului, with views towards the Bihor Mountains.

### Good to know

This is a trail for fit, experienced hikers, not a stroll to a waterfall. The loop may only be walked in the marked direction (going the other way is forbidden), it is closed in winter, and Salvamont Bihor advises avoiding it in the rain, when the rock becomes very slippery.

## Don't miss

- The steps of the waterfall, with the water sliding down nearly 80 m of sloping rock, seen from its foot.
- The climb beside the waterfall on bare rock, with fixed chains on the three steep passages.
- The Bohodei saddle on the Vlădeasa ridge, where the trails from Stâna de Vale and Boga meet.
- The descent through Poiana Boiului towards the Șerpilor valley, with views over the Bihor Mountains.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Oradea take the DN76 (E79) via Beiuș to Sudrigiu, then turn left for Pietroasa: ~86 km, ~1h30; from Beiuș it is ~20 km. From Pietroasa, the forest track up the Crișul Pietros valley and then the Aleu valley leads towards Poiana Aleului; you can drive part of it, as far as the guesthouses in the Aleu valley, and continue on foot on the blue triangle. The full loop from Pietroasa village is 17 km and takes 6–6½ hours, of which the chain section around the waterfall is 4 km and 2–2½ hours. The waterfall can also be reached from the Stâna de Vale resort, along the ridge to the Bohodei saddle, but the loop must still be walked in the marked direction.

**Public transport:** trains and buses run from Oradea to Beiuș; services from Beiuș to Pietroasa are infrequent, and you need a car to reach the start of the path in the Aleu valley.

### Where to park

There is no formal car park and no published parking fee. Leave the car at the end of the drivable part of the forest track in the Aleu valley, without blocking the track, or in Pietroasa if you are doing the full loop.

### Fees & discounts

The waterfall and the trail are free: the Apuseni Natural Park fee list does not include a charge for hiking trails.

### Rules

The waterfall is in Apuseni Natural Park: stay on the marked trail, do not light fires and take your litter with you. The loop may only be walked in the direction of the waymarks (up beside the waterfall, down through Poiana Boiului); the reverse direction is forbidden, and the whole loop is closed in winter. Footwear with good grip is mandatory, and the trail should be avoided in wet weather. You need to be fit and have your hands free for the chains: carry a backpack, nothing in your hands. In an emergency call 112 or Salvamont (0SALVAMONT, 0725 826 668).

### Facilities

No facilities on the trail · guesthouses and accommodation in Pietroasa and in the Aleu valley · the trail is not accessible with a pushchair or wheelchair · weak or no mobile signal in the valley

## Details

- **Drop height:** 80 m
- **Watercourse:** Bohodei stream
- **Walk to the waterfall:** demanding mountain trail
- **Trail length:** 17 km
- **Difficulty:** difficult
- **Trail marking:** blue triangle
- **Mountain range:** Vlădeasa Mountains

## Frequently asked questions about Bohodei Waterfall

**How much is a ticket to Bohodei Waterfall?**

Admission to Bohodei Waterfall is free (no fee for the trail). The waterfall and the trail are free: the Apuseni Natural Park fee list does not include a charge for hiking trails.

**What are the opening hours of Bohodei Waterfall?**

Opening hours at Bohodei Waterfall: daily open 24 hours. An open-air site with no opening hours and no ticket. The Bohodei loop is closed in winter, according to the official Apuseni Natural Park trail sheet, and may only be walked in the marked direction. Set off in the morning: the full loop from Pietroasa takes 6–6½ hours, and the chain sections should not be done in the dark or in the rain.

**How long does a visit to Bohodei Waterfall take?**

A visit to Bohodei Waterfall takes about 6 – 6½ hours (full loop from Pietroasa).

**Can you visit Bohodei Waterfall with kids?**

No, Bohodei Waterfall is not recommended for visits with children (rock passages with chains).

**How do I get to Bohodei Waterfall?**

Bohodei Waterfall is located at Aleu valley, on the Bohodei loop (blue-triangle waymarks), starting from Pietroasa village, Pietroasa, Bihor County. By car: from Oradea take the DN76 (E79) via Beiuș to Sudrigiu, then turn left for Pietroasa: ~86 km, ~1h30; from Beiuș it is ~20 km. From Pietroasa, the forest track up the Crișul Pietros valley and then the Aleu valley leads towards Poiana Aleului; you can drive part of it, as far as the guesthouses in the Aleu valley, and continue on foot on the blue triangle. The full loop from Pietroasa village is 17 km and takes 6–6½ hours, of which the chain section around the waterfall is 4 km and 2–2½ hours. The waterfall can also be reached from the Stâna de Vale resort, along the ridge to the Bohodei saddle, but the loop must still be walked in the marked direction. Public transport: trains and buses run from Oradea to Beiuș; services from Beiuș to Pietroasa are infrequent, and you need a car to reach the start of the path in the Aleu valley.

**When is the best time to visit Bohodei Waterfall?**

The best season for Bohodei Waterfall: June – October (trail closed in winter).

## Nearby attractions

- [Moara Dracului Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-moara-dracului) — Waterfalls · Budureasa, BH · Free · 5½ – 6 hours · 8 km
  A 20–25 m, two-tier waterfall hidden in a narrow valley of giant boulders and spruce on the western slope of the Vlădeasa massif; reached on foot from Stâna de Vale along a marked trail of about 8 km.
- [Săritoarea Ieduțului Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-saritoarea-iedutului) — Waterfalls · Budureasa, BH · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 10 km
  A wild waterfall on the Ieduțul stream, hidden among ferns and fir trees above the Iad Valley, a quarter of an hour's walk through the forest from the road between Stâna de Vale and Lake Leșu.
- [Focul Viu Ice Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ghetarul-de-la-focul-viu) — Caves · Pietroasa, BH · Free · 12 km
  An ice cave in the forests of the Galbena Valley near Padiș, reached on foot along a marked trail. Around midday, light pours in through a hole in the roof and falls on the ice.
- [Iadolina Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-iadolina) — Waterfalls · Budureasa, BH · Free · 30 min · 14 km
  A multi-tiered waterfall on the Iad Valley, tumbling between huge boulders right beside the road from Stâna de Vale to Lake Leșu; you see it from a metal viewing platform or from below, by the water.
- [Cetățile Ponorului](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatile-ponorului) — Caves · Bihor County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 14 km
  A karst complex on the Padiș Plateau: three huge sinkholes with walls over 200 m high and a portal over 70 m tall where the Cetăților stream vanishes into the mountain. Seen from a marked hiking loop, not a show cave.
- [Bears' Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ursilor) — Caves · Chișcău, BH · 40 lei · 45 min · Top 100 · 16 km
  Romania's most visited cave: 488 m of lit galleries beneath the village of Chișcău, full of stalactites and stalagmites, with the bones of some 140 cave bears left where they were found.

---

Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-bohodei
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/cascada-bohodei.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/cascada-bohodei.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/cascada-bohodei.md
Last updated: 4 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania
