Bako National Park (Malay: Taman Negara Bako) is a national park located in the Kuching District, Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It was established in 1957 and is the oldest national park in Sarawak. The park covers an area of 27.27 square kilometers (10.53 square miles) at the tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula, where the Bako and Kuching Rivers meet. It is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) by road from Kuching. Over millions of years, erosion of sandstone has formed a coastline with steep cliffs, rocky headlands, and white sandy beaches. Wave erosion has created sea arches and sea stacks with colorful patterns caused by iron deposits. One famous sea arch, shaped like a cobra’s head, was visible during boat rides from the park’s headquarters or nearby beaches. This formation collapsed in 2024 and is no longer present. Some of these rock formations can be seen near Teluk Assam Beach, which faces the park. The park is accessible by a 20-minute boat ride from Kampung Bako. It is often visited as a day trip from Kuching, though camping and bungalows are available for visitors.

Bako is one of the smallest national parks in Sarawak. However, it includes multiple biomes, such as rainforests, and offers diverse natural features like wildlife, jungle streams, waterfalls, secluded beaches, and hiking trails. A network of 16 marked walking trails of different lengths allows visitors to explore the area. Several beaches can be reached by boat from Kampung Bako or Teluk Assam, as well as a geologically interesting sea stack. The variety of attractions and activities in a small area has made Bako one of the most popular parks in Sarawak.

The park hosted the final Pit Stop of The Amazing Race Asia 1.

Flora

Bako has almost all the types of plant life found in Borneo. There are more than 25 different kinds of plant life from seven ecosystems, such as beach plants, cliff plants, kerangas or heath forest, mangrove forest, mixed dipterocarp forest, padang or grasslands, and peat swamp forest. The area is home to many different plants, including several types of carnivorous plants like pitcher plants, sundews, and bladderworts, as well as many kinds of trees and other plant species.

Fauna

Bako is home to about 150 endangered proboscis monkeys, which are found only in Borneo, and is known as "the best place to see proboscis monkeys in Sarawak." Other animals in the area include long-tailed macaques, silvered langurs, plantain squirrels, Bornean bearded pigs, monitor lizards, and otters. These animals can be found in the forest and near the camp headquarters at Telok Assam beach. Bako also has many lizards and snakes, most of which are harmless. The area is great for bird watching, with over 150 bird species recorded. Nocturnal animals in Bako include colugos, pangolins, mousedeer, bats that eat fruit and insects, tarsiers, slow lorises, and palm civets.

Gallery

• A trail map of Bako National Park located at the park headquarters.
• A view of Bako National Park.
• The plant species Drosera spatulata var. bakoensis growing in Bako National Park.
• The plant species Nepenthes gracilis found in Bako National Park.
• A young proboscis monkey at Bako National Park.
• An Asian pit viper at Bako National Park.
• Polypedates colletti at Bako National Park.
• The bird species White-chested babbler (Trichastoma rostratum) at Bako National Park.
• Long-tailed macaques at Bako National Park feeding on a horseshoe crab.
• The Bako sea stack.
• A beach near the park headquarters.