Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park Park

Address: Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, northern Thailand

Website: https://www.dnp.go.th/

Hours: Daily sunrise-sunset (park office hours vary)

Admission: Park entrance fees vary (approx. THB 200-400 for foreigners), local guide fees extra

Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park is a protected highland park in Thailand known for rugged sandstone formations, montane forest, and a significant role in recent Thai political history. The area preserves upland scenery and a network of trails and viewpoints.

The park contains distinctive rock cliffs, wooded plateaus and viewpoints that give broad outlooks over surrounding valleys and ridges. Trails lead to scenic overlooks, natural rock formations and waterfalls, and seasonal mist and cool temperatures are a draw for visitors.

During the late 20th century parts of this highland area were used as a base by the Communist Party of Thailand; later the terrain and forest were incorporated into a national park to protect the landscape and provide public access.

The park sits in Thailand’s uplands in the general Phetchabun region, covering highland areas that lie between several northern and central provinces.

• Recent history: Notable for its Cold War-era history as a base area for the Communist Party of Thailand during the 1960s-1980s before being converted to protected public land.
• Visiting tip: Best visited in the cool season, when mountain roads and viewpoints are most accessible and temperatures are lower than the lowlands.

The plateau was easily defended by the communists thanks to its high elevation and its proximity to Laos. China lies relatively close too, and PLAT combatants received most of their training and funding from there. The insurgents were defeated in 1982, and within two years their stronghold had been converted into a national park.

Today’s visitors find a more peaceful landscape dotted with waterfalls and forested hiking trails. Lan Hin Pum is an area of rounded stones that resemble molehills, a strange effect caused by erosion, while Lan Hin Taek is a unique rock formation split by a massive fissure that hosts otherworldly moss and orchid species. Man Daeng Waterfall tumbles through 32 cascading levels and can be reached on a six-hour hike; be sure to hire a guide.

Despite its natural endowments, the park draws more history buffs than nature lovers. The visitor centre runs a small museum to get you oriented, but the best way to follow the events of the 1970s is along the Third World Trail, which leads to the old communist headquarters, hospital and political-military school.

Phu Hin Rong Kla is in northern/central Thailand, reachable from Phitsanulok or Phetchabun by regional roads. Long-distance buses to nearby towns followed by local transport or hired vehicles are the most common access methods.

• Explore early morning trails for birdwatching and cooler conditions; the park is home to endemic and migratory species.
• Hire a ranger or local guide for routes that cross former political hotspots-some areas require permits and local knowledge.
• Bring layers: higher-elevation plateaus can be chilly even after warm lowland days.