Bach Ma National Park in Vietnam Closes to Tourists Following Historic Floods and Landslides

Published on December 28, 2025

Bach Ma National Park, known to be one of the most popular natural landmarks in Vietnam, is left with no other option but to suspend tourism activities indefinitely due to the series of devastating landslides caused by the record-breaking flood that happened at the end of October 2025. The park, covering an area of over 37,400 hectares, is situated in the central part of Vietnam, bordering the boundary lines of the provinces of Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam Province. It is home to its remarkable biodiversity, treks, and forests, making it an iconic destination not only for local but also international tourists.

Landslides Disrupt Access to Park’s Summit
The road leading to the summit of Bach Ma Mountain, a key access point for tourists and forest rangers, has been severely damaged. The landslides, triggered by 23 consecutive days of torrential rainfall, have left extensive damage in their wake. The recorded rainfall in the region reached historic levels, exceeding 1,700 mm, making it the highest rainfall ever recorded in Vietnam’s meteorological history and the second-highest globally. These rains caused landslides at multiple points along the road, severely disrupting both tourism and daily operations within the park.

At kilometer 12, where the damage was most severe, the entire uphill slope, stone embankment, and road surface were completely swept away, leaving a stretch of over 100 meters of road in ruin. The landslide depths reached up to 50 meters in some areas, rendering the route impassable. This damage has not only cut off access to the summit for tourists but also disrupted the work of forest protection teams, who rely on this road for their patrols and daily operations.

Tourism Suspended, Local Economy Affected
The immediate impact of the road damage has been felt most acutely by the local tourism industry. The Bach Ma National Park was one of the top destinations in Hue, attracting tourists for trekking and exploration of the park’s rich biodiversity. With tourism now indefinitely suspended, businesses that depended on tourist traffic, including local hotels, restaurants, and tour operators, are facing significant losses. Additionally, the suspension of tourism has affected the broader economy in the region, with a slowdown in revenue for local businesses that cater to the increasing number of visitors to the park each year.

With the access road severely damaged, the local authorities have been forced to implement a temporary measure for forest rangers, allowing them to cross the damaged road on foot to continue their work in patrolling and maintaining the park. However, this makeshift route is not a long-term solution and further highlights the scale of the damage.

Efforts to Rebuild and Restore Access
Despite the severity of the damage, efforts to repair the road have not yet begun. Local authorities explained that the enormous volume of landslide debris at kilometer 12 is preventing any immediate repairs. With the road entirely cut off, the only way for forest protection forces to access the summit area is via a narrow temporary path that runs alongside the landslide. This makeshift route is only sufficient for ranger patrols, not for tourism or regular forest operations.

In response to the crisis, the park’s director, Nguyen Vu Linh, suggested the installation of a pulley system to transport essential supplies, such as food and equipment, to the forest rangers stationed at the summit. This system, however, would only serve as a short-term solution. In the long term, authorities are considering building a bridge across the landslide area and reinforcing the embankments to prevent further collapses. The city’s construction department has also been conducting on-site surveys to explore repair options.

Impact on Forest Protection and Local Conservation Efforts
The damage to the road has also had significant implications for forest protection efforts within the park. With the access road rendered unusable, forest rangers are facing difficulties in maintaining the integrity of the park’s ecosystem and wildlife. The disruption of their patrol routes has made it harder to monitor and safeguard the park from illegal activities, such as logging and poaching, which could lead to irreversible damage to the park’s biodiversity.

Bach Ma National Park is home to a range of endangered species and plays a crucial role in Vietnam’s biodiversity conservation efforts. The current situation highlights the delicate balance between tourism development and conservation efforts, with the ongoing suspension of tourism hindering both.

What’s Next for Bach Ma National Park?

While the assessment of the repair work and the planning of the reconstructions of the road in progress, the fate of the tourism in the Bach Ma National Park hangs in the balance. It is evident that the restoring of the tourism activities will not occur until the damage caused to the site is repaired. Although the authorities in the region are optimistic of the repair work, the environmental impacts of the landslides will take some time to remedy.