Khao Khitchakut National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติเขาคิชฌกูฏ) is a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

in Chanthaburi Province,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. The park is located in the Soi Dao Mountains, the Thai part of the much larger Cardamom Mountains, and is home to waterfalls and forests. The venerated Buddha footprint is also within the park premises. On 4 May 1977, Khao Khitchakut was designated Thailand's 14th National Park.

Geography

Khao Khitchakut National Park is northeast of

Chanthaburi Chanthaburi ( th, จันทบุรี, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in the east of Thailand, on the banks of the Chanthaburi River. It is the capital of the Chanthaburi Province and the Mueang Chanthaburi District. The town covers t ...

town in Khao Khitchakut District. The park's area is 36,444 rai ~ . The highest point is Khao Phra Bat peak at . The park, one of Thailand's smallest national parks, borders the much larger

Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary ( th, เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าเขาสอยดาว) is a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand's Chanthaburi Province. It covers the area around Khao Soi Dao Tai and Khao Soi ...

Attractions

The Khao Phra Bat mountaintop is the site of a Buddha footprint and is an important religious place for Thai Buddhists. During the time around the

Magha Puja Magha (māgha, माघ or maghā, मघा) may refer to: * Magha (month) (māgha, माघ), a month in the Hindu calendar * Magh (Bengali calendar), the same month in the Bengali calendar * Magha (poet) (māgha, माघ), an 8th-century San ...

holiday (in February or March) large numbers of visitors make the pilgrimage here. Also on Khao Phra Bat peak there are rock formations to which the shapes of various objects have been attributed: a pagoda, a monk's

alms Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or Charity (practice), charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving, and it is a widespread p ...

bowl, a turtle and an elephant. The park's largest waterfall is Krathing, a waterfall of 13 separate levels, intersecting nature trails at various levels. These falls are fed by the

Chanthaburi River 250px, Chanthaburi River in the phase of Mueang Chanthaburi District Chanthaburi River ( th, แม่น้ำจันทบุรี), formerly and still colloquially known as Chanthabun River (แม่น้ำจันทบูร) is a river ...

. Other park waterfalls include Changsay and Klong Piboon. File:Khao Khitchakut National Park02.jpg, The Buddha Footprint site File:Khao Khitchakut National Park.jpg, File:Thailand 1418a.jpg, Camp site near Krathing Falls

Flora and fauna

Animal species include gaur, sambar, barking deer and serow. Herds of wild

elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and ...

have also been sighted here.

References

{{authority control National parks of Thailand Geography of Chanthaburi province Tourist attractions in Chanthaburi province 1977 establishments in Thailand Protected areas established in 1977 Cardamom Mountains

Geography

Attractions

Flora and fauna

See also

References