Haew Narok Waterfall

Haew Narok Waterfall is the tallest and most impressive of the waterfalls located within the Khao Yai National Park. It’s a long drive to reach Haew Narok Waterfall, and then a moderately long walk, however, the effort is well worth it.

• Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00
• Entrance Fee: You need to pay to enter Khao Yai National Park
  • Foreign visitors: 200 THB (adults), 100 THB (children)
  • Thai nationals: 40 THB (adults), 20 THB (children)

About Haew Narok Waterfall

Haew Narok Waterfall is located walking distance from a car park at the side of the main road which run north to the south through the Khao Yai National. The starting point for the walk is 10.1 km by road from the southern entrance to the park near Nakhon Nayok, and 36.5 km by road from the northern entrance to the Khao National Park, which is near to Pak Chong. There is no public transport available with Khao Yai National Park so in orer to visit Haew Narok Waterfall you need to either rent a vehicle, arrange a private car, or go on an organised tour. For groups of 3 or more people renting your vehicle will be the cheapest option.

The first stage in reaching Haew Narok Waterfall is to leave your vehicle at the car park at the start of the trail to Haew Nayok Waterfall. There is no fee for parking, and on the edge of the car park there a shop with snack and drinks, and a snall range of cooked foods. There are also toilets. We recommend using the toilet and buying a bottled drink to take with you on the walk to the waterfall, as there no toilets or shops on the trail to Haew Nayok Waterfall.

The walk from the car park to the lower viewing platforms is around 1 km in each direction. The walk isn’t suitable for small children or anyone with difficulties walking. It’s too far for young children to manage and the last part of the walk is down several flights of very steep concrete stairs, which are difficult to walk down and very tiring to walk back up. I did the walk with my 3 year old son, who didn’t enjoy it, and I had to carry him on my back for pretty much the whole way which was very physically demanding.

The Haew Narok Waterfall consists of a series of 3 falls, with a combined drop of around 180 metres. Visitors to the park, however, can only get to see the upper most of the three falls, which has an impressive drop of around 50 metres, straight down. There are two observation decks at the bottom of this first fall and this is where the trail takes you and no further. In the rainy season (June to September) the water pours down the hillside with remarkable force and you will get wet from the spray created as the water hits the pool below when you stand on the observation decks.

The Haew Narok Waterfall drops through very steep land, and attempting to each the lower two waterfalls would be dangerous. There are trails down to the lower falls, but the staff who work in Khao National park are reluctant to take people, partly because they don’t want to distrurb the wildlife and partly because the trails can be very slippery and accidents can easily happen. The danger doesn’t just extend to humans either. Every year wild elephants die falling down Haew Narol Waterfall, despite the best efforts of the park authorities. On route to the falls you will pass large concrete columns with narrow gaps in between designed to stop elephants getting to the falls. Stopping wild elephants roaming around a jungle is, however, a impossible task and the death of one or more elephants at Haew Narok Waterfall is still a regular event.

Location of Haew Narok Waterfall

• Haew Narok Waterfall is located 36.1 km by road from Nakhon Nayok.