Ob Luang National Park

Ob Luang National Park protects a narrow limestone gorge cut by the Mae Chaem River in Hot district, about 105km south of Chiang Mai city. The canyon runs roughly 300 metres, with rock walls close enough in places that you can nearly touch both sides from the suspension bridge crossing it. Entry is 200 THB for foreign adults (100 THB for children) against 20 THB and 10 THB for Thai nationals, and the gates operate daily from 08:00 to 16:30.

Gazetted in 1991 as Thailand’s 68th national park, Ob Luang covers 553 square kilometres across Chom Thong, Mae Chaem, and Hot districts, though most day visitors only see the gorge area near the entrance. A boardwalk and viewing platforms run along the canyon rim, with the river’s roar echoing off the rock walls below — louder and more dramatic in the rainy season (June-October) when water levels rise, quieter and more turquoise-clear in the cool season. Beyond the gorge, the park holds three waterfalls (Mae Bua Kham, Mae Chon, and the year-round Mae Tia), limestone caves with stalactites, and a small hot spring called Thep Thanom, though these sit further into the park and see far fewer visitors than the main canyon.

Mixed deciduous forest surrounds the gorge, with teak and orchids along the shorter nature trails that branch off the main boardwalk. Langurs and hornbills turn up in the tree canopy fairly reliably in the early morning, and monitor lizards are a common sight sunning themselves on the rocks near the river. Visitor numbers stay modest year-round — the park logged around 36,000 visitors in 2024 — so even on a weekend the gorge rarely feels crowded.

Insider Tip: Arrive before 9am on a cool-season morning. The light comes in low across the canyon walls and the boardwalk is empty of the tour groups that pass through en route to Doi Inthanon later in the day.

Watch out: The suspension bridge and viewing platforms have no barriers in places, and the rock can be slick after rain — sandals with grip beat flip-flops here. Bring your own water; there’s a small snack stand near the entrance but nothing inside the gorge trail itself.

Ob Luang sits within the same Hot district as Doi Tao Lake and, further south toward Doi Tao town, the hilltop pilgrimage site of Phra That Doi Koeng Temple — worth combining into a loop if you’re driving this stretch of Chiang Mai province rather than heading straight through to Mae Hong Son.