Phu Kao - Phu Phan Kham National Park
Phu Kao - Phu Phan Kham National Park, an area in upper northeastern plateau, locates in the lower part of Udon Thani Province and lupper part of Khon Kaen Province. The main geology of this area is mountains of sandstone, has sandstone stratum on the top layer of soil, has hard soil or sandy hard soil beneath, and has laterite and sandy soil scattering all over the area. There are plants, animals, and naturally beautiful scenery. The area consists of deciduous forest and is about 322 squares kilometers.

Geographical Features
The appearance of Phu Kao looks like frying pan which has great plain in the center. It can be assumed that this area is the remains of a volcano extinguished millions of years ago, or layers of rock in this area bending up to being mountain ridges. Phu Kao Mountain Range is two peripheral lines of mountain; the outer line consists of high mountains; the inner line consists of lower mountains which its hillside is not much slope. Most of the area alternates between high and low, and some are plains.

Phu Phan Kham, in Phu Phan Mountain Range, is a long mountain range lying northeast and southwest.

The southwest part was a lower vast-plain of Lam Nam Phong, the very big valley, which, after finished building Ubonratana Dam, is now a lake and becomes half area of Phu Phan Kham. There are deciduous forest and mixed forest growing on the rocky soil.

Weather Condition
The weather in this area is three seasons. Summer is from March to May with hot temperature in April. Rainy season is from June to October with heavy rain in August. Winter is from November to February with very cold temperature in January because it has been influenced by high pressure from southern China.

Varieties of Plants and Wild Animals
The area generally has deciduous forest spreading all over especially on hillside and ridge. The valuable trees are Siamese sal, ingyin, eng, Kradone (a kind of Barringtoniaceae), Hiang and Payom (a kind of Dipterocarpaceae), and lower plants are wild cyad, slender bamboo, and many kinds of climber and prickly plants. In addition, there also has mixed forest in lower areas such as along the stream, in the valley, and on some of hillsides. The valuable trees are ironwood, Burmese ebony, Makhaa Tae, gyo, Krabog (a kind of Ixonanthaceae), and Teen nok (a kind of Verbenaceae), with bamboo is the lower plants. And the rain forest is growing only on the banks of stream. Its valuable trees are, for examples, Tabag (a kind of Lagerstroemia), Yang, Hopea, Makhaa mong, and rosewood.

Tourist Attractions

Rekha Khanit and Muem Caves  
The remains, believing older than 3,500 years, in the archeological site shows the evidence that human of this ‘Ban Chiang Era’ lived their life by hunting according to the color painting and rock carving on the wall of caves.

Beautiful Scenery of Ubonrat Dam and her Islands  
This place is suitable for camping and traveling by boat. Traveler can travel to Pramong Village (Fishery Village), Non Sung District, Udon Thani Province, and to buy fish in Ubonratana District, Khon Kaen Province.

Ham Tang  
This is the existing of nature like Sao Chaliang in Pha Tam, that is; there are rock columns, caused by the erosion from water, rain and wind for a long time, which have rock floor on top look like mushroom.

Tatfa Waterfall  
They are the wonderful waterfalls, located in Phu Kao, and has more water only in rainy season.

Facilities
Tourism's restroom: There are toilets for tourism.
Accommodation: Bungalows are also available.
Camping site: Campground is available for visitors. Please bring your own tents and food or rent the the tents that prepared by the park.
Parking: National Park provides parking lot for visitors.
Food services: Restaurant is available in the Park.
Visitor center: Visitor Center is open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Contact Address
Phu Kao - Phu Phan Kham National Park
P.O.Box 2, Ubonratana Post Office  Amphur Ubol Ratana   Khorn Kaen   Thailand 40250
Tel. 0 4295 6528 (VoIP), 08 1221 0523

How to get there
By Car
• From Udon Thani, use a road ‘Udon Thani – Non Sang’ for 86 kilometers and turn at Kut Khu Village 17 kilometers to Phu Kao. There is Phu Kao - Phu Phan Kham National Park’s office 6 kilometers from Ubolratana Dam.

• From Khon Kaen, use a road ‘Khon Kaen – Ubonratana’ for 50 kilometers and another 6 kilometers from Ubolratana Dam to Phu Phan Kham National Park’s office.