This a really nice 1-hour loop I like to do to get my blood flowing. I will tweak the loop a little bit for riders heading out from CNX on San Kampaeng Road (1317). I would guess the loop (including trip out from CNX) would take about 3 hours with a little rest stop or two at the viewpoint.
Take San Kampaeng Road (1317) about 20 km from the Superhighway exit or straight out from Mahidol Road until the Rte 1006 intersection (photo below). Turning right here will get you to the 1229 intersection, but I recommend heading up 1317 a few more km's as the view at the turnoff is inspiring.
Head up 1317 past the King and Queen
Take a right at the Top Up Tech School. This turn is just at the top of the hill and you will miss it if you are flying.
This is the view you get when you make the turn.
Merge onto (slight left) the 1006 after the Wat Mae Len Muang On.
Right turn onto the 1229 in the middle of On Klang village. This road is not well-maintained with gravel and potholes. Slow riding please!
Just getting out of the village.
This is the start of the fun stuff: Entrance marker to Maetakhrai National Park.
Heading up the mountain now. Lots of gravel and potholes and turds.
Take a left at the 1229 and 1230 intersection
Heading toward the village of Tha Nuea.
New temple being built here in the village:
Just getting out of the village here:
Turds
Gotta take it slow through here
This is where the dirt starts (hidden in the shadow a bit). I would guess it is a good 7 or 8 km's of riding on dirt and rocks.
And this is a marked road (1230):
The sign is missing, but this is the viewpoint parking area. I would guess it is the best view of Chiang Mai from the west side. It overlooks Mae On, the Crazy Horse Buttress (and range just beyond) with CNX in the distance. Wow!
The viewpoint
The 250
Ruts in the road. Some are pretty deep as I discovered later that night. (Story for another day)
Little drop-off to the left
This is deceiving as you think the road is beginning, but this is gravel for a few hundred meters or so
More ruts
Stay left here. Going right is a decent right but it dead-ends at a village. The village of the Mossy Roads (my personal wipe-out story up here).
Big ruts on this stretch
And back on real road!
Road repairs
Coming down the mountain
I don't want to know what he was thinking
Nice yellow
The Tard Muey Waterfall is to the left here. It is a decent walk through the jungle. Worth doing once, but not much of a waterfall that I saw.
Very steep road here.
You now go through the village of Huai Kaeo until you hit the intersection of the 1317 where you go left and head back to CNX.
Back at the Top Up Tech School
Happy riding! JB
Take San Kampaeng Road (1317) about 20 km from the Superhighway exit or straight out from Mahidol Road until the Rte 1006 intersection (photo below). Turning right here will get you to the 1229 intersection, but I recommend heading up 1317 a few more km's as the view at the turnoff is inspiring.
Head up 1317 past the King and Queen
Take a right at the Top Up Tech School. This turn is just at the top of the hill and you will miss it if you are flying.
This is the view you get when you make the turn.
Merge onto (slight left) the 1006 after the Wat Mae Len Muang On.
Right turn onto the 1229 in the middle of On Klang village. This road is not well-maintained with gravel and potholes. Slow riding please!
Just getting out of the village.
This is the start of the fun stuff: Entrance marker to Maetakhrai National Park.
Heading up the mountain now. Lots of gravel and potholes and turds.
Take a left at the 1229 and 1230 intersection
Heading toward the village of Tha Nuea.
New temple being built here in the village:
Just getting out of the village here:
Turds
Gotta take it slow through here
This is where the dirt starts (hidden in the shadow a bit). I would guess it is a good 7 or 8 km's of riding on dirt and rocks.
And this is a marked road (1230):
The sign is missing, but this is the viewpoint parking area. I would guess it is the best view of Chiang Mai from the west side. It overlooks Mae On, the Crazy Horse Buttress (and range just beyond) with CNX in the distance. Wow!
The viewpoint
The 250
Ruts in the road. Some are pretty deep as I discovered later that night. (Story for another day)
Little drop-off to the left
This is deceiving as you think the road is beginning, but this is gravel for a few hundred meters or so
More ruts
Stay left here. Going right is a decent right but it dead-ends at a village. The village of the Mossy Roads (my personal wipe-out story up here).
Big ruts on this stretch
And back on real road!
Road repairs
Coming down the mountain
I don't want to know what he was thinking
Nice yellow
The Tard Muey Waterfall is to the left here. It is a decent walk through the jungle. Worth doing once, but not much of a waterfall that I saw.
Very steep road here.
You now go through the village of Huai Kaeo until you hit the intersection of the 1317 where you go left and head back to CNX.
Back at the Top Up Tech School
Happy riding! JB
