Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon National Park protects 482 square kilometres of mountain terrain in the Chom Thong and Mae Chaem districts of Chiang Mai Province, centred on Doi Inthanon — Thailand's highest peak at 2,565 metres above sea level. The park encompasses some of the country's most diverse ecosystems, shifting from tropical lowland forest at the base to subtropical montane forest and cloud forest at the summit. Temperatures at the peak average 8–12°C in December and January, dropping occasionally to near freezing — a stark contrast to Chiang Mai's city heat 60 kilometres away. The summit plateau is marked by a small stupa containing the ashes of the last king of Chiang Mai, King Inthawichayanon, from whom the mountain takes its name. The park's two Royal Pagodas — Napha Methanidon (dedicated to the King) and Naphaphon Phumisiri (dedicated to the Queen), built in 1987 and 1992 respectively — stand at approximately 2,300 metres surrounded by elaborate manicured gardens filled with temperate-climate flowers. Between the pagodas and the summit, a series of paved walking loops lead through cloud forest where epiphytic mosses, orchids, and ferns coat every trunk. Birders regard Doi Inthanon as one of Southeast Asia's premier destinations: over 360 species have been recorded, including several found nowhere else in Thailand, among them the Ashy-throated warbler and the Green-tailed sunbird. Wachirathan waterfall near the park entrance is the most accessible of the park's cascades, viewable from a short paved path.