Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park has an area 307 km2 or 191,875 rai. It covers Dansai District of Loei Province and Nakon Thai District of Phisanuloke Province. It is blessed with natural beauty and historical significance. Unfortunately, fighting there during the communist years did untold damage to the forest.
Topography
The general topography of the park is steeply mountainous. The northern part of the park in Chaiburi Dstrict borders Laos. The Southern part of the park runs into Petchabun Province. The mountain range includes the peaks of Phu Pangma, Phu Lomloh, Phu Hin Rong Kla and Phu Mahn Yow, the tallest in the park at 1,800 meters above sea level. The second tallest is Phu Lomloh at 1,664 meters. The park is the headwaters of many streams, including Huai Muad Kon, and Huay Luang Yai.
Climate
Phu Hin Rong Klas climate is similar to that of Phu Kra Dung and Phu Luang. Because of its high altitude, the park is cool all year round, especially, of course, in the cool season, when temperature can occasionally drop to freezing point. Mist can cool and pleasant; the temperature does not rise much above 25 Celcius.
Flora and Fauna
The park has mixed deciduous, dry dipterocarp, dry evergreen, and hill evergreen forests. The mixed deciduous forest tends to be spacious and open. The soil quality and moisture is low. Tree species commonly found include Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Shorea obtusa, Shorea siamensis and Dipterocarpus tuberculatus.
The dry evergreen forest has better and moister soil, particularly in higher elevations and along streams. Species include Dipterocarpus alatus, Hopea ferrea, Hopea oborata, Anisoptera cochinchinensis, Dalbergia oliveri, Chukrasia venlatina, bamboo, and Brahm among others.
Hill evergreen forest is occurs in cool higher elevations of 1,000 meters and up. Species tend to be soft woods. Important species include Dacrydium elatum, Betula alnoides, Eugenia cumini, Anneslea fragrans Podocarpus imbricatus and Pinus merksii P. kasiya.
The flat areas on ridge tops are sandy and support Sphagnum recuryum, algae and perennial plants such as Burmannia disticha and Osbeckia chinensis. In addition, may orchid species can be found in rocky areas, including Lycopodium phlegmaria and rhododendron. These flowers bloom between the rainy and cool seasons.
In the past, Phu Hin Rong Kla was evergreen forest and had big diversity of wildlife. But later, when the communists and government began fighting, the area turned into a battlefield. Much of the forest was damaged and much of the wildlife was killed or fled to safer areas. Remaining wildlife includes tigers, leopards, Asiatic Black Bears, wild boar, fox, monkeys, leopard cats, wild hare and many bird species, such as boves barbets, common Flameback, Asian Barred Owlet, Brown Hawk-Owl, jungle fowl, bulbuls, and swallows.
