🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Kamphaeng Phet sits between the Ping River lowlands and the western mountains that wall it off toward Tak. The west side of the province is full of forest and hills, with two big national parks — Khlong Lan and Mae Wong — plus a hot spring close to town. You can drive to all of them in a day from the city centre, so it's a good escape if you want to swap the old town for cold water and green forest.
Khlong Lan Waterfall — the big one that's easiest to reach
If you only have time for one spot, make it Khlong Lan Waterfall. It's a single-drop fall pouring off a cliff around 100 metres high and roughly 40 metres wide, fed by the Khun Khlong Lan range that rises over 1,400 metres. At the base there's a large pool you can swim in. What I like is that the walk from the park office to the falls is only about 500 metres on an easy concrete path — doable for older visitors or families with kids, no climbing required.
Khlong Lan has water year-round, but the fullest, greenest stretch is from mid rainy season into the early cool season, roughly September to November. In the dry season the flow drops but it still runs, and the water is clearer. If you're going for a swim, check the flash-flood warning signs before you get in — in the rainy season the water comes down hard and it's freezing cold.
Fees and hours
Khlong Lan National Park is open 08:30–16:30. Entry is 40 THB for Thai adults, 20 THB for Thai children, 200 THB for foreign adults and 100 THB for foreign children, plus 30 THB per car and 20 THB per motorbike. There's a campground at 30 THB per person per night, and park bungalows start around 600 THB. Book ahead in the cool season — it gets busy.
Want more out of Kamphaeng Phet? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Other waterfalls in the Khlong Lan area
Khlong Lan park covers hundreds of square kilometres, so there's more than just the one waterfall. If you want to go deeper and don't mind the distance, there are more falls and rapids to stop at, each with its own feel.
Khlong Nam Lai Waterfall
A medium-sized fall that steps down through 9 tiers, each with a shallow pool to soak in. Quieter than Khlong Lan and about 25 km from the park office — good for a short forest walk.
Rapids & forest campgrounds
The park has several campgrounds, like the Khlong Nam Lai site and ones deeper in the forest, for anyone who wants to stay the night and wake to running water and birdsong.
Mae Wong National Park — up the mountain for the sea of mist
Mae Wong is a large stretch of forest straddling Kamphaeng Phet (Pang Sila Thong district) and Nakhon Sawan. The spot people come for is Chong Yen, the highest point on the Khlong Lan–Umphang road at around 1,340 metres. It's a sunset and sea-of-mist viewpoint with a cool breeze almost all year, averaging under 20°C and dropping to 15°C in the cool season — even when it's over 40°C down below.
Another spot photographers love is Khun Nam Yen, a campground about 24 km from the office where you can take in evergreen hill forest in nearly every direction and catch both sunrise and sunset. If you like camping deep in the forest in cool air, this is where people from Kamphaeng Phet and the surrounding provinces drive up to spend the night in the cool season.
- Best time — November to February, cool air and the best odds of catching the sea of mist
- Getting there — the road up to Chong Yen is a winding mountain route; use a vehicle in good shape and go in daylight
- Where to stay — mostly camping, so bring warm gear because the nights get genuinely cold
- Come prepared — phone signal is limited, so fill up on fuel and buy food before heading up the mountain
Straight talk
Chong Yen is far out and it's a long mountain drive — not a quick drive-by stop. If you're set on Mae Wong, set aside the whole day or stay the night; don't expect to drive up for photos and back down within an hour. And check the park's page beforehand to see whether Chong Yen is open at the time, because the route closes in some seasons.
Phra Ruang Hot Springs — a foot soak close to town
If you don't feel like driving far, Phra Ruang Hot Springs is about 22 km from the city centre. It's a natural hot spring bubbling up from 5 sources at around 40–65°C, with the grounds landscaped for an easy stroll. There's an open-air foot-soak pool where you sit on bamboo platforms under a roof for shade — that part is free, and it's a good stop in the late afternoon before heading back into town.
- Free foot soak — the open-air pool on bamboo platforms, with the water at just the right warmth
- Mineral baths — the shared bathhouse is around 30 THB and a private room rents for around 50 THB
- Bungalows and a campground — for anyone who wants to stay and unwind, natural-spa style
A 2-day nature trip
Kamphaeng Phet's nature spots are spread across the west of the province, so driving yourself is by far the easiest. Here's a two-day, one-night plan I'd lay out — unhurried, with both the waterfall and the mountain.
Khlong Lan Waterfall + a night in the forest
Up to Mae Wong + a foot soak before heading home
What to sort out before a nature trip
- A car makes it far easier — public transport into the parks is limited, so if you don't have a car, look at renting one or hiring a car from town
- Check opening hours — the parks close at 16:30, so don't arrive late; leave time to walk and swim
- Watch for floods in the rainy season — always check the warning signs before getting into a waterfall
- It really is cold up the mountain in the cool season — Chong Yen and Khun Nam Yen can drop to 15°C, so pack warm clothes
- Pack out your trash — many of these spots are protected forest, so bring a bag for your rubbish
Want a full-day Kamphaeng Phet plan covering both the old town and nature
See the Kamphaeng Phet travel guide →