Chae Son Cycling

Description Details
Trail Name: Wat Ban Khun Tha Trail
Trail Location: Chae Son National Park
Trail Type: Road/XC
Trail Difficulty: Hard

To: Wat Ban Khun Tha Trail

This is a tough but rewarding ride with stunning views of both Lampang and Chiang Mai as you cross the border between the two provinces.  To get to the trailhead you must journey up a steep winding road to Wat Ban Khun Tha, located in a small village in the mountains of the Khun Tan range, which stretches from Chiang Rai to Lampang.  From here there is a tough climb along a dirt dual track with several hundred m of gain before reaching the highest point.  The trail continues through thick forest passing small farms and villages along the way before reaching the idyllic village of Pa Miang within Lampang and Chae Son National Park.  If you’re lucky you may find a coffee shop open but don’t expect much during off-peak season.

From this point the riding is along paved road to the finish point, starting with another tough climb as you make your way towards Chiang Mai.  When you reach the highest point a recommended short detour is Kew Fin lookout which is just 300m off the road on the left side.  Another nice place to stop as you head down towards Mae Kampong is Chomnok Chommai coffee shop, which has fantastic views of Mae Kampong below.  Mae Kampong waterfall is pretty average but if you have the energy the climb towards the top of the falls is nice.  The road down towards Chiang Mai is well paved with more and more traffic as you descend so the end so be careful as you cycle through residential areas.

Overall this is a good ride if you don’t mind road riding, the off road sections are beautiful and remote and don’t be surprised not to see a single person until you reach Pa Miang village.

This route was 35km with 1200m of gain with 4 hours of moving time.

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