Trail running is always the main goal, but with much of Chiang Mai’s main routes already added to The Database, we need to venture out to more remote and lesser known-areas. These kind of adventures on uncharted trails can are quite unpredictable. We would never recommend anyone trying them out unless you really love adventure. We recently went out exploring new jungle routes in Mae Onn district, and even though it is not for everyone, we thought we’d share the adventure anyway.
So you can find the .gpx file of the route in this article. We haven’t added it to The Database though, we reserve that for more easily runnable trails. One more time: don’t try it unless you are well prepared and are in for a real jungle adventure.
Check out the video:
Some background info
Mae Onn is a district located to the East of Chiang Mai city. It is quite rural and remote, but there are some natural attractions, mainly the Mueang Onn cave. It is also easy to connect with San Kamphaeng or Doi Saket if you want to add more sightseeing.
The trail we had in mind started out Huai Mae Phrik Reservoir. Unlike other reservoirs it is a very remote reservoir that is quite difficult to access. The road to get there is quite narrow and turns into a dirt track towards the end. Very different from Huai Thung Tao or Huai Jo to name a few other examples. The route started off quite well on a double track along the reservoir. But as soon as the trail disappeared into the jungle it got quite narrow right away. Not far in we found ourselves stuck in thick vegetation, not sure about where the trail had gone.
We had difficulties finding the trail for the next 2 kilometers or so. We took about 2 hours covering this distance. No need to mention it was very frustrating. So much that we got to the point where we actually considered bailing on the route we had planned. We gave ourselves another 30 minutes of bush whacking. If we would not find a trail by then, that would be it. Surprisingly we did find a trail and things got (a little) better from there. There were hunting tracks that we could follow, but they often disappeared on steep hill sides. Luckily the views along they way were a nice diversion at this point.
Following the ridge lines, we finally ended up at a crossroads with a couple of clear trailheads. We decided to take the one in the direction of the starting point. The trails actually got quite sweet from this point onward, and we were able to get some actual trail running in for a couple of kilometers. The final section was along nice double tracks. The area is quite promising, and it seems there is a whole network of trails out there. We’ll keep it in mind for the dry season. Maybe with less vegetation we will be able to set out an actual running route.
One more final time: if you want to go exploring Mae Onn like we did, do keep in mind that the trail is overgrown and you will need some orientation skills to make it through the first 5 kilometers!
Practical info for exploring Mae Onn
Before attempting this adventure, make sure you have a fully functioning GPS device with a reliable compass. Without it we would have possibly gotten into big trouble. The paths are not always obvious but if you know the general direction of the goals you can navigate your way. Whenever you are not sure about the route, make sure to take a good look at the route, the map and your compass.
It speaks for itself that you will need plenty of water and fuel for such an adventure. And shoes with good grip will also help you immensely on the first 5 kilometers. Once you reach “trail crossroads” the trail gets more obvious and you should be fine though.
Have you ever been on this kind of explorations in Chiang Mai? Let us know in the comments!
Hi there fellow trail enthusiast!
Chiang Mai Trail Running is completely free to use and does not contain any paid advertising. All our content, including .gpx files, are there for everyone to use. But keeping a website like this running does cost money; there are costs for software to create the website, as well as hosting and server fees to make it run smoothly. These costs are carried entirely by the creator of the website and help would be greatly appreciated! If you want to help, why not buy a coffee by clicking on the orange button in the bottom right corner. Or if you want to help in any other way, just reach out by sending an email to: chiangmaitrailrun@gmail.com
Your contribution will help a lot in keeping this website running and help in making the trails of Northern Thailand accessible for everyone!
More Stories:
Exploring Jungle Routes in Mae Onn District
Training for my first Ultra distance – Part 2: Building up
Training for my first Ultra distance – Part 1: The Foundation
