Pha Chor Canyon

Pha Chor is a set of eroded cliffs and free-standing pillars in Mae Wang National Park, cut into sediments laid down by an ancient course of the Ping river - the deposits were uplifted by tectonic movement, then rain and runoff carved them into columns twenty to thirty metres high, capped in places by harder material. A path leads down from the car park and along the floor of a dry gully between the walls, about seven hundred metres, so you walk through the formation rather than looking at it from above; there are viewpoints on the rim as well. The material is soft and continues to erode, which means the shapes change and the site is fragile. It is very hot and completely unshaded in the gully, so morning visits are strongly preferable, and after heavy rain the path is slippery clay and can be closed. Climbing on the pillars is prohibited.

What you actually see

• The pillars - columns twenty to thirty metres high in soft sediment.
• The gully walk - about seven hundred metres along the floor between the walls.
• The ancient riverbed - Ping river deposits uplifted and then eroded.
• The rim viewpoints - looking down into the formation from above.

When to go

November to February, in the morning - the gully has no shade and midday heat there is severe. Avoid it after heavy rain when the clay is slippery and the path may close.

Honest expectations

No shade at all in the gully and very hot after mid-morning. The path is slippery clay when wet and sometimes closed. Do not climb the pillars - the material is soft and crumbles. Foreign entry fees are higher than Thai.

Nearby

Mae Wang district and its bamboo rafting are close; Chiang Mai is north-east.