Nanthaburi National Park

Nanthaburi National Park covers a stretch of mountains west of Nan town, spanning Tha Wang Pha, Mueang Nan, and Ban Luang districts at elevations from roughly 300 to 1,656 metres. Entry is free — partly because the park is still classed “เตรียมการ” (preparatory) by the Department of National Parks, meaning it’s staffed and managed as a park, with rangers, marked trails, and an office, but hasn’t yet completed the formal royal gazettement that would give it full legal status and a set fee schedule. That’s a common in-between stage for Thai parks, some of which run this way for years before final designation.

The park’s best-known sites cluster within a short drive of the Tha Wang Pha office: Namtok Santisuk and Namtok Song Khwae are the two most-visited waterfalls, both with pools suited to swimming after the short walk in from the car park. Namtok Huai Phrik sits further off the main road and sees fewer visitors as a result. For views rather than water, Doi Pha Chi and Doi Pha Chang are the park’s two signature viewpoints, looking out over mixed deciduous and dry evergreen forest studded with teak and rosewood. Trails through the lower elevations are straightforward day hikes; anything climbing toward the park’s higher ridgelines is a longer, steeper undertaking better suited to a guide.

Insider Tip: Call the park office (0 2562 0760) before making the trip out from Nan town — trail conditions and which waterfalls are running full change with the season, and staff can tell you which site is worth the drive that day.

Watch out: Because the park’s status is still preparatory, signage and mapping are thinner than at a fully gazetted park like Doi Phu Kha — carry a phone with an offline map or hire a local guide if you’re planning to go beyond the main waterfall trails.

Cool season (November-February) brings the clearest air and the most comfortable hiking temperatures. Pack sturdy shoes, insect repellent, and water — facilities are limited to the park office and trailheads, with nothing further along the trails themselves. A motorbike or car is the only realistic way in, since no public transport reaches the trailheads. Doi Phu Kha National Park, Nan’s largest and most established park, makes a useful comparison if you want a fully developed alternative on the same trip; see the Nan guide for more of the province.