Tat Mok National Park

Tat Mok is a relatively small national park. It covers 290 km² and is located about 15 km east of Phetchabun town in Phetchabun province. The main attraction of the park is the Tat Mok waterfall. Both the park and the waterfall are named after the Tat Mok mountains.

The park's forests consist of mixed deciduous, deciduous dipterocarpus, and dry evergreen forests. Some of the tree species are dipterocarpus, xylia woodruff, teak, Burmese holly, and various bamboo trees (from Wikipedia).

Being so small, the park has spectacular wildlife due to its proximity to two major protected sites such as: Nam Nao National Park in the north and Phu Khio Reserve in the east. Animals such as elephant, gaur, boar, and muntjac, though not common, are only a few of the large mammals that inhabit the park.

Visit

There is no public transportation at the entrance to the park. Visitors must have their own car or light motorcycles, which are allowed in the park.

Admission tickets cost 100 baht for adults and 50 baht for children. The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm all year round.

There are two campsites in the park, the first is Lan Chom Dao, 5 km from the entrance to the top of Lan Chom Dao mountain area, 630 meters above sea level, with an open 180° angle over the Phetchaburi Valley, the second is Huai Bong Ranger Station 11 km from the entrance, about 9 km from the trail leading to Tak Mok waterfall.

Tents can be rented at both campsites, but there may not be staff available to help with tents on weekdays at the first campsite. The second campground has full-time staff year-round. Tents can be rented for 225 baht (4 people), accessories not included, accessories (pillow, sleeping bag, etc.) from 30 baht and up.

There are no restaurants or stores within the park, and visitors are encouraged to bring their own snacks and drinks. There is one restaurant near the checkpoint at the junction with the main road into Phetchaburi, but it is only open on weekends and on high load days. Sometimes they may open briefly at the end of the day. Alternative restaurants are closer to Phetchaboon.

The first campsite has a mobile front desk overlooking the Phetchabun Valley, but you will not find a mobile front desk further into the park. The visitor center at Huai Bong Ranger Station campsite has free wireless Internet access, but at a very slow speed and occasionally it loses connection. Ask the staff for the password.

Bungalow

There are four bungalows at Huai Bong Ranger Station, where the main campsite is located closer to the waterfall, two bungalows are for 6 people each at 1000 baht per day, the other two are for 40 people at 4000 baht per day. Significant discount applies when booking on Mon-Fri. Bungalows can be booked on the DNP website in advance.

Since the money transfer must be done within 2 days and transfers from abroad take longer, reservations can only be made from Thailand. Payment can be made at 7-Eleven stores or banks.

West Isaan Forest Complex

Tat Mok National Park is part of the Western Isaan Forest Complex, which includes three other national parks and four wildlife reserves, totaling 4,594 km².

Protected areas in the complex are:

• Nam Nao National Park
• Tat Mok National Park
• Phu Pa Man National Park
• Phu Kradueng National Park
• Phu Khieo Reserve
• Pha Phung Reserve
• Fu Fa Daeng Reserve
• Taboa Huai Yai Reserve
• Tat Mok Attractions
• Tat Mok Waterfall

Tat Mok Attractions

Tat Mok Waterfall

The main attraction of the park is located at an altitude of 200 to 300 meters. The waterfall is accessible via a 2 km rocky trail along the Song Nang Nature Trail, this trail also leads to the Song Nang waterfall. The start of the trail is at the end of the road 19 km east of the park entrance. The trail climbs from about 630 meters to 850 meters above sea level. There is a fork a couple of hundred meters before Song Nang Falls, the trail to the right leads to Tat Mok Falls. The last few hundred meters of the trail is quite steep. You do not need a guide for the walk.

Song Nang Falls

The 12-tier waterfall accessible via the same trail to Tat Mok, compared to the 200-300 meter high Tat Mok waterfall, is a rather small, but tiered and impressive waterfall. Only the first couple of tiers are accessible to visibility along the trail.

Lan Chom Dao Camping

This is the first camp in Tat Mok National Park, 5 km from the checkpoint, accessible from the side road to the north for about 3 km. The camp site is relatively spacious, with a very good and clear view of the Phetchaburi Valley. There are tents available for rent.

Camping Huai Bong Ranger Station

Near the main tourist center at 11 km. It is two separate campsites, with a distance of 300 meters between them. The first one is quite small right behind the visitor center, the second one is very spacious. There are tents available for rent. Both campsites have showers and toilets.

Viewpoints

There are several viewpoints along the road that go through the national park. These points have relatively good views, with views of the mountains and a good view of the narrow valley.