Haew Narok – a tall waterfall in Khao Yai National Park

Haew Narok (or Heo Narok) is the highest waterfall in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park – and the most powerful waterfall, during the wet season. (Photo below taken in December by Tontanthailand). The waterfall is described as being 150 metres high as it drops over and three tiers (although some sources report it is as being 180m and even 200m high); only the topmost 60m tier is accessible.  The sheer vertical drop of the waterfall gives it it’s name – Haew Narok means “Valley of Hell” or “Sunken Hole of Hell”!

During the dry season it reduces to more of a trickle, and eventually dries up, although on an early March visit the pool below the falls was pretty full.

Getting to Haew Narok Waterfall

The signposted, paved Namtok Heo Narok Nature Trail heads into the dense jungle; a number of interpretive signs explain the flora along the trail.

After a few hundred metres, the trail crosses the Huay Samor Poon Stream on a sturdy timber bridge.

The trail descends gradually, as it passes some interesting jungle vines under towering trees.

After about 700m the trail reaches the Elephant Patrol Point, and crosses a series of massive concrete pillars which are deigned to stop elephants getting too close to the Heo Narek Cliff. Stretching 400m upstream on both sides of the river, they were installed in 1992 after the sixth incidents where elephants were swept over the cliffs to their deaths.

The area of the waterfall is a permanent part of wild elephants’ foraging range, which has been the cause of tragedy with elephants falling down the waterfall. The first time was on 2 August 1992, when a family of 8 elephants was lost as they crossed the stream in the forest at the top of Haew Narok Waterfall, making it known as an “elephant graveyard.” On 5 October 2019, another 11 elephants were lost.

Khao Yai National Park website

The last hundred metres is a very steep descent via a series of steps to a viewing platform opposite Haew Narok Waterfall.

The start of the Namtok Heo Narok Nature Trail is located on Highway 3077 at the 22km milepost (22km from the  Khao Yai National Park Visitor Centre).