Kep National Park

The forest loop behind town: distance, the climb to Sunset Rock, where to pay, and what to bring.

Kep National Park is the town's best walk and its cheapest day out: a forest hill right behind town, ringed by a single loop track with viewpoints over the coast and the islands. Entry is about $1 per person, collected at a small booth at the main entrance behind Veranda Natural Resort, up the hill above town. About 300 metres in, Led Zep Café sells water, food and a simple hand-drawn trail map (around 2,000 riel) — it is the only food and water on the route, so stock up there before you set off.

Bring water, and don't start late

Kep is hot and humid, and there is no water on the loop once you pass Led Zep Café near the entrance — carry more than you think you need and walk in the early morning or the late afternoon rather than the midday heat. The park is daylight only, with no lighting on the trail and the entrance closing in the late afternoon, so leave enough time to finish before the light goes.

Kep National Park is the town's best walk and its cheapest day out: a forest hill right behind town, ringed by a single loop track with viewpoints over the coast and the islands. Entry is about $1 per person, collected at a small booth at the main entrance behind Veranda Natural Resort, up the hill above town. About 300 metres in, Led Zep Café sells water, food and a simple hand-drawn trail map (around 2,000 riel) — it is the only food and water on the route, so stock up there before you set off.

Bring water, and don't start late

Kep is hot and humid, and there is no water on the loop once you pass Led Zep Café near the entrance — carry more than you think you need and walk in the early morning or the late afternoon rather than the midday heat. The park is daylight only, with no lighting on the trail and the entrance closing in the late afternoon, so leave enough time to finish before the light goes.

Animals on the trail

Long-tailed macaques live in the forest here. They are wild animals — don't feed them or leave food out, and give a troop room if you meet one. Walkers have also reported dogs near the hillside nunnery that don't take to passers-by; carry a walking stick or take another path if they bother you.

The park loop

One forest circuit around the hill, with the Sunset Rock viewpoint over Kep, the coast and the islands as the highlight. The outer track is wide and gentle — easy enough to jog — while the inner paths and the short climbs up to the viewpoints are steeper.

The highlight is Sunset Rock, the viewpoint over the town, the coast and the islands. The path locals call the 'Stairway to Heaven' climbs toward it past a hillside pagoda and nunnery; names on the ground vary from map to map, so follow the painted markers and ask at the café if unsure.

Distance: About 8 km round the loop — allow 2.5 to 3.5 hours at a relaxed pace, longer with detours up to the viewpoints.
Surface: A wide gravel-and-concrete track for most of the way, flat enough for an easy walk or a run. The connector paths and the steps up toward Sunset Rock are steeper, with tree roots and rough concrete in places.
Good for: Ordinary walkers and runners on the main loop. The steep spurs up to the viewpoints suit anyone reasonably steady on rough steps — skip them if you would rather not, the loop is rewarding on its own.
Start from: The main entrance behind Veranda Natural Resort, off the road on the hill above Kep town, where the booth collects the $1. A quieter second way in is the barrier behind Kep Lodge. Led Zep Café is about 300 m past the main entrance.
Parking

Most people walk or ride up from town; there is room to leave a motorbike or tuk-tuk near the entrance.

Facilities

Led Zep Café near the entrance is the only food, water and toilet on the route. Once you are out on the loop there is nothing — fill your water bottle before you go.

Map

Open in maps

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