Exploring Black Rock in Phuket
Not all activities in Phuket come at a price, this is a totally free activity you can enjoy in the South end of Phuket. This adventure is ideal for a group outing, a couple date or can even be enjoyed by trail runners for fitness.
In this article, we will explore one of the best kept secrets of Phuket – Black Rock.
You can also click the video below to experience a video tour of the trail and what to expect.
How to get to Black Rock in Phuket
To get to Black Rock you will need a set of wheels, there is some rough terrain to drive through but our small wheel microvan was able to get to the starting point of the walking trail pretty easily. So it isn’t to bad and could be done by a motorbike, just take it slow.
Distance (from) to the top of Black Rock:
Rawai Beach: 8.5km
Nai Harn Beach: 7km
Karon Beach: 8km
Kata Beach: 6km
If you park your vehicle at the bottom of the walking trail the walk through the forest would be about 1km long with some high elevation and would take around 20 minutes.
While traveling along the 4030 Karon rd (about 450m) from the Karon Viewpoint you will see a large NUI BEACH sign at the beginning of a dirt road. This is your entry point. For trail runners, you could park your vehicle somewhere at this entry point and start your run from here. (see photo below)
Nui Beach sign entry point to dirt road
Follow the dirt road to the start of the walking trail
What to expect on the walking trail
This is a really enjoyable walking trail that can be completed by people of all fitness levels. It is around 1km in length with some slight to medium elevation. The trail itself seems a well trodden and clear path with some handrails in steeper areas.
On the trail you can see many beautiful butterflies and insects, lizards and scorpions. The jungle around the trail is thick and dense with many different plants and trees. At certain times of the year snakes may be out sunbaking so stay aware during your walk.
I recommend doing the walk to Black Rock in the early hours of the morning or late hours of the day to avoid the higher temperatures. Make sure you take plenty of water!
At the Top
The views from the top of the walking trail are something special, to your left you have a perfect birds eye view of Nai Harn Beach and Promthep Cape with surrounding islands and on your right you can see Karon and Kata Beaches.
If you fly a drone this is a great place to launch and get some stunning aerial shots. There is a rock to stand on to take a great selfie or group photo with a stunning back drop of the Adaman Sea.
Picnic Spot
If you are looking for a shady place to sit and chill to enjoy some food and drink, I suggest once at the top to go for a walk to your far left, through a little bit of bush and you will see an exposed rock with some tree’s shading it. This is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the beautiful views.
Trail Running Black Rock Phuket
I have been looking for a good “off the beaten path” trail run in Phuket and this one is a great test and adventure. Depending how much distance you would like to cover you could do the first part of this run along the road for around a 30km round trip. If you park at the Nui Beach sign at the start of the dirt road you could do a trail run with a distance of around 7km round trip.
