Bike And Walking Path Chiang Mai Chang Puak Area
Walking and biking are popular things to do up here in Chiang Mai. I have a bit of a bad back so I enjoy walking a few times a week. One place I have recently found is a path that runs along Highway 121 up by the Chiang Mai 700th Anniversary Sports Stadium Complex. The area is quite nice for a stroll or a ride and have paths designed for both. One path is for bicycles while the other is for walking and are both clearly marked. The path has a number of flowers and shrubs and though it is close to the highway it feels isolated.
The walking path goes all the way up just past the Sport Stadium while the bicycle path keeps on going. I believe it might get you all the way to Huay Tung Tao Lake. It is a nice path to take and you can avoid driving directly on the highway, something not all of us enjoy doing. Especially, in a busy traffic area like Thailand it can get a bit stressful having motorbikes and cars zooming past you at high speeds.
Day Time Less Busy Night Time Cooler
The path is well maintained and I usually see a few workers tending to flowers and plants each time I head out. They also have a water system that they use to try to keep the area hydrated from the Thailand heat. During the day the path is usually not busy with only the occasional walker or biker passing you by.
Path to Left For Bikes, Path to Right For Walking
As the evening approaches and the cooler weather starts it usually gets more active. Many bikers, runners and walkers start to frequent the path. I lot of them from the sports stadium. Even at night the path is lite up so overall it feels pretty safe. Later in the night sometimes locals do frequent the area to chat, drink, and race their motorbikes down the street. However, that is usually much later in the night.
My Personal Route
I usually start down by The International Convention and Exhibition Centre Commemorating His Majesty’s 7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary. Yes, that is quite a long name but will call it the convention Centre for short. The walking path does not start in this area but you can easily walk on a raised sidewalk until you arrive at the walk path. Once I reach the end of the path I usually turn around and come back but I do not think it would be an issue if you decided to keep on going along the bike path.
When you’re walking just be careful that you don’t stroll into the bike path by mistake. Also once in a while someone with a motor scooter will drive down the path. I am quite sure they are not actually allowed do to this but this is Thailand and you can find motor scooters everywhere. I will talk about Huay Tung Tao Lake soon as well. That is a nicer walk or bike ride as you go around a lake with the mountains around you, but it is a bit farther out of the city. You could certainly use a bicycle to get there or a motorbike but it would be quite the long walk.
End Of The Walking Path But The Bicycle Continues On
Hope you enjoyed this and please feel free to ask any questions about the area.
