Doi Inthanon National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติดอยอินทนนท์), also called "the roof of Thailand," is a national park located in the Thanon Thong Chai Range, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. The park includes Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain, which reaches 2,565 meters, and Doi Hua Mot Luang, which reaches 2,330 meters. The park covers an area of about 482 square kilometers (186 square miles).
Geography
Doi Inthanon National Park is about 60 kilometres (37 miles) away from Chiang Mai. It includes Karen and Meo Hmong villages with around 4,500 people. The park’s heights range from 800 to 2,565 metres (2,625 to 8,415 feet). Many waterfalls are found within the park, such as Mae Klang Falls, Wachiratan Falls, Siriphum Falls, and Mae Ya Falls. The park has different climates and ecosystems in various areas.
Doi Inthanon National Park is located in an important part of the Ping River watershed area, which has helped form many rivers. The Mae Wang River, Mae Klang River, Maw Ya River, Mae Hoi River, Mae Chaem River, and Mae Tia River are the most significant rivers in the area. These rivers help nourish many local settlements in Chang Mai Province before flowing into the Ping River.
History
The national park was officially named the 6th national park in the Royal Gazette on October 2, 1972. The boundaries of this park were changed in 1978 and again in 2009.
Flora
Flora includes evergreen cloud forest, sphagnum bog, and deciduous dipterocarp forest. There are some relict pines.
Plant communities in Doi Inthanon change based on elevation. The table below shows the main plants found in each type of vegetation.
Fauna
Doi Inthanon National Park has the second highest number of bird species in Thailand's national parks, with 383 different types of birds.
The park includes:
• A subtropical forest that stays green most of the year but loses some leaves during the dry season
• A butterfly called Cethosia biblis found in the park
• An adult male green-tailed sunbird
The park is home to several reptile species, including:
• Acanthosaura lepidogaster
• Gekko gecko
• Hemidactylus frenatus
• Hemidactylus platyurus
• Hemiphyllodactylus chiangmaiensis
• Ahaetulla prasina
• Hebius khasiensis
• Trimeresurus popeiorum
• Cyrtodactylus inthanon
The park also has several amphibian species, including:
• Ansonia inthanon
• Leptolalax pelodytoides
• Megophrys major
• Megophrys minor
• Amolops marmoratus
• Hylarana nigrovittata
• Odorrana livida
Gallery
- View from the peak of Inthanon
- Viewpoint located at the 41st kilometer mark on Highway 1009, Doi Inthanon
- Doi Inthanon National Park
- Doi Inthanon National Park
- Cherry blossom flowers found throughout the area of Doi Inthanon National Park
- Scenic walkway within the area of Doi Inthanon National Park
- Mae Ya Waterfall located in Doi Inthanon National Park
- Siri Phum Waterfall located in Doi Inthanon National Park
- Siri Than Waterfall located in Doi Inthanon National Park
- Plants on the hillsides of Doi Inthanon
- Stream in the mountains