Phu Kradueng National Park
| Phu Kradueng National Park | |
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| อุทยานแห่งชาติภูกระดึง | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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View from Lom Sak Cliff on Phu Kradueng Mountain
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 Location in Thailand
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| Location | Loei Province, Thailand |
| Nearest city | Loei |
| Coordinates | 16°52′05″N 101°46′33″E / 16.86806°N 101.77583°ECoordinates: 16°52′05″N 101°46′33″E / 16.86806°N 101.77583°E |
| Area | 348 km2 (134 sq mi) |
| Established | 1962 |
| Visitors | 69,613 (in 2009) |
| Governing body | Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation |
Phu Kradueng National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติภูกระดึง), in the Si Than sub-district of Amphoe Phu Kradueng, Loei Province, is one of the best known national parks of Thailand, with a high point of 1,316 m (4318 ft) elevation at Khok Moei. It was proclaimed a national park on 23 November 1962, the second national park of Thailand after Khao Yai National Park.
The park is closed to visitors during the rainy season (1 June - 30 September).
Phu Kradueng mountain, made up of Jurassic and Cretaceous sandstone formations, takes the form of a mesa towering some 1,000 meters above the surrounding valleys. The summit plateau is roughly square-shaped and 60 km2 (37,500 rai) in size, with an average elevation of about 1,250 meters. Sloping slightly to the north, its western, southern, and eastern edges are fairly straight and formed by abrupt sandstone cliffs, while the northern part is deformed in a more irregular shape, containing a number of streams and (seasonal) waterfalls. The summit itself, in the southwestern part of the plateau, is inconspicuous. The park occupies an area of 348 km2 (217,575 rai)
"Phu" (ภู) comes from the Thai-Isan word "phukao" (ภูเขา), meaning mountain. The name "kradueng" (กระดึง), or "krading" (กระดิ่ง) in the local dialect of Loei Province, can be translated as "rakhang yai" (ระฆังใหญ่), meaning "large bell". This name comes from a legend relating to a Buddhist holiday. During the holiday many of the townspeople heard the sound of a large bell. They believed it to be the bell of Indra.
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