Nan Nao National Park
Nam Nao NP is located in Petchabun. It is one the best kept National Parks with excellent tracks and trails. To get there from Bangkok, take the highway to Petchabun and then on to Lom Sak. Just before reaching Lom Sak, turn right on to Highway 12 towards Khon Kaen. You will see the signs for the park on your left.
The park itself is mainly mixed deciduous and pine forest offering a wide variety of birds and wildlife.
This park has large number of wild elephants which can usually be seen with little effort. Please take heed that these are wild animals and can be easily distressed if disturbed. Avoid shining torches or camera flashes directly towards their eyes, especially after dark.
It can be an extremely rewarding experience to see these creatures in the wild, so keep it a pleasant one.
Birding around the HQ and camping areas is pleasant and easy going. There are a good numbers of birds to be found here. The morning usually turns up good numbers of White-crested and Lesser-necklaced Laughingthrushes, Blue Magpies and Eurasian Jays. Red-headed Trogans, Minivets, Barbets and Leafbirds are all resident around the HQ. Around the little stream towards the camping areas White-crowned Forktail can be seen. Around the campsites the trees hold Minivets, Great Slaty and White Bellied Woodpeckers, Velvet-Fronted and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatches.
There are many trails leading off from the HQ. All are pretty much loop, point A back to point A in increasing lengths. The shortest being around 1 km to the longest at about 4 km. These trails are well kept and some are paved. there is one trail that is a point A to B which comes out on the main road. On this trail one can simply double back or face the 5 plus km walk back to the park along the road. All of these trails can produce excellent birding with Orange-breasted and Red-headed Trogons, Silver-breasted and Long-tailed Broadbills, Blue Pittas, Green Magpies, Speckled Piculets, Bar-backed Partridges, White-crowned Forktails and a host of Woodpeckers.
Phu Goom Khao Trail
Phu Goom Khao Trail can be reached by turning left out of the park, drive for about 3 km. The track can be seen on the right. The unsurfaced road is about 14 km long. This area varies from grassland to pine forest. Birds to be found here include; Collared Falconet, White-bellied Woodpecker,Burmese Nuthatch,
Brown Prinia and Blue Magpie.
