Khao Luang National Park
Khao Luang National Park is a mountainous rainforest reserve near Nakhon Si Thammarat, known for waterfalls, hiking trails, and rich biodiversity.
Khao Luang National Park
Khao Luang rises to 1,835 metres behind Nakhon Si Thammarat and is the highest mountain in peninsular Thailand. The national park protects the range around it, and the forest is the draw: dense evergreen rainforest at the base giving way to mossy montane forest near the summit, with a very high rainfall and its own endemic plants.
The park is rich in orchids - well over three hundred species have been recorded - and holds waterfalls on several of the streams draining the massif, of which Krung Ching, with a drop of a few hundred metres reached by a forest trail, is the best known. Wildlife includes gibbons, macaques, serow and a large range of birds.
The summit ascent is a serious multi-day trek requiring guides. Most visitors go for a waterfall and a day walk from one of the ranger stations.
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