Doi Inthanon Cycling Trails
Description | Details |
Trail Name: | Doi Inthanon to Chiang Mai |
Trail Location: | Chiang Mai |
Trail Type: | XC |
Trail Difficulty: | Hard |
For fans of long distances this ride from Doi Inthanon to Chiang Mai should satisfy your needs! Consisting of 81km of single track, double track, paved road, steep climbs and fast descents this trail combines all the elements to make a memorable cycling trip.
The trailhead starts deep inside Doi Inthanon National Park, generally people enter the park on the 1009 highway and eventually a right turn will take you on the 1284 past the King’s project and various farms and resorts. The first part of the trail follows dirt roads through the farms before quite a tough climb through some forest to a mountain crest. At the time of writing some of the trails were being paved so it may not be long before this section is road rather than dirt track.
Once on the crest the fun begins and there is a 10km downhill on smooth double dirt track, winding its way through dense forest which eventually leads out to some pretty terraced paddy fields and farmland in the valley below.
From here the trail heads north via a combination of dirt and paved road, a lot of road building was again going on so this will be a fully paved road in 2017. The road comes out on the 1013 and after a short ride along the road you will reach the toughest section with a steep climb with over 500m of gain required to reach the top. More fun ensues with some quite technical downhill double track for several kilometers before you reach the 56km mark whereby its 30km of undulating terrain back to Chiang Mai.
There are several small villages you can stop off to get refreshments and food along the way but be sure to take plenty of snacks, water and supplies as some areas are quite remote and with over 1600m of gain over 81km it will be a tough ride.