Top 10 National Parks in India

Get ready for an adventure! If you go to places like national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and game reserves in India, you might see wild animals in their natural homes. There are about 400 national parks in India, and each one has different things to see. You might see tigers, lions, rhinos, elephants, and other animals that eat or get eaten by other animals! It can be really exciting to watch them but remember to be safe and not disturb them.

Here in this blog, we will discuss the top 10 national parks in India.

#1. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

Jim Corbett National Park is a famous place near Nainital where people go to see tigers and other animals. It is one of the important national parks in India. Besides tigers, you can also see different kinds of deer, leopards, jackals, red foxes, black bears, sloth bears, and monkeys there. If you want to see these animals, you can book a jeep safari in the early morning or afternoon. This park was the first national park in India.

The park is divided into four parts called Dhikala, Durgadevi, Bijrani and Jhirna. These parts cover a large area of 520 square kilometres. All four parts are good for seeing tigers in their natural homes. If you like walking, you can also trek in the park with a guide.

Best time to visit: November to January.

How to Reach There: well-connected to Nainital, Delhi, Moradabad, and other cities by road and rail.

Price: A maximum of 6 passengers are allowed in each vehicle, which costs INR 4000.

Popular for: jackal, jackdaw, and red fox.

#2. Kaziranga National Park, Assam

Kaziranga National Park is a famous place known for its “Big Five” animals: Rhinoceros, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Buffalo, and Swamp Deer. It’s a great spot to see these wild animals. Unlike Hemis, which is the largest national park in India, Kaziranga has many animals and birds that live in the hills.

The park is quite large, covering an area of 378 square kilometres. It provides a home for bears, leopards, and different kinds of birds that either live there all the time or visit during certain seasons. But the main attraction of the park is the one-horned Rhino.

Kaziranga National Park is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It received this honour because it is located in a special area called the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. This means it has a lot of different plants and animals, making it one of the most diverse national parks in India.

If you visit the park, you can choose to go on a jeep safari in the early morning or afternoon. You can also go on an elephant safari in the early morning. These are popular activities that tourists enjoy in Kaziranga National Park.

Best Time to Visit: November to April

How to Get There: Kohara, the closest town, is accessible by road.

Price: The cost is approximately 1200 INR for Indians and 2000 INR for foreigners.

Famous for: UNESCO World Heritage Site.

#3. Gir Forest National Park, Gujrat

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a very good place to see wild Asiatic lions in Gujarat, India. It used to be a place where the Nawabs of Junagadh went hunting, but in 1990 it became a protected area for animals.

When it started, there were only 12 lions here, but now there are almost 600. You can also see other animals like sambar, chinkara, chital, porcupines, wild boars, and blackbucks. Tourists can go on jeep safaris here in the early mornings, afternoons, and early evenings. This is one of India’s most famous national parks that you should visit!

Best time to visit: December to March

How to get there: Well-connected to Rajkot and other cities through roadways.

Price: INR 4500 for each jeep, with a capacity of 6 persons.

Famous for: Sambhar, porcupines, and black buck are well-known.

#4. Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal

The Sundarban National Park is a special place in West Bengal, India. It is a home for tigers and other animals, and it is also a Biosphere Reserve. People come from all over to see the famous mangrove forest there. The park is trendy and gets many visitors.

In the park, you can see many different animals like Bengal tigers, saltwater crocodiles, wild boars, foxes, leopard cats, big turtles, Ganges river dolphins, and many more. There are also a lot of birds, both local and migratory.

To explore the park, you can only travel by boat. There are no jeep safaris or walking tours available. One interesting thing about the park is that the tigers there have learned how to swim in the salty water. From November to February, you can easily see tigers resting on the river banks. Sundarban National Park is considered one of the best national parks in India to see tigers.

Best Time to Visit: The park is open from September to March, except for December and February.

How to Reach There

Gosaba, which is the closest town and has a road leading there, is the best way to get there. The closest train station is Canning, where travellers can also board a motorboat.

Price: Indian citizens can enter for free, however renting a boat for a day would set you back between 1000 and 2000 INR.

Popular for: Tigers.

#5. Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Satpura National Park, spanning an expanse of 524 square kilometres, boasts an exceptionally distinct landscape, featuring sandstone peaks, dense forests, narrow gorges, and deep ravines. This remarkable terrain serves as the habitat for a diverse range of wildlife, including leopards, wild boars, bears, black bucks, various types of deer, and numerous bird species. Additionally, occasional sightings of tigers and barasinghas have been reported.

Visitors have the opportunity to partake in various activities within the park, such as booking jeep or elephant safaris, as well as indulging in boating and walking tours. For the jeep safari, different routes are available, with the option of spending a night at a camp along certain routes.

Best Season to Visit: October to April

How to Reach There

Pachmarhi, the closest town, has good road connections. Piparia, which has good road connections as well, has the closest train station.

Price: Depending on the route you select, it ranges from INR 2750 to 7000.

Popular for: Barasinghas

#6. Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh is another national park that is worth visiting. It is a special place where you can find Royal Bengal Tigers. Adventure lovers also enjoy visiting this park for rafting. It is the same place where the famous novel “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling is set. It is truly one of the most well-known national parks in India.

Although there are currently fewer than 50 tigers in the park, people report seeing them on a daily basis. You might also have the chance to see other wild animals such as elephants, deer, wild boars, striped hyenas, sloth bears, wolves, leopards, foxes, and many more.

Best time to visit: November to May

How to reach there: The closest city, Seoni, has good road connections.

Price: INR 150 per vehicle for foreigners, INR 100 for Indians with a guide.

She is known for: the leopard, sloth bear, and the striped hyena.

#7. Sarika National Park, Rajasthan

The Sariska National Park in Rajasthan is a safe place for Royal Bengal Tigers. It covers an area of 866 square kilometres and has a rocky terrain. The forest has thorny plants that make it easier for tourists to see the elusive “king of the jungle”.

Other animals that can be seen here are leopards, striped hyenas, wild boars, jackals, serpent eagles, monkeys, hares, and various types of deer. Tourists can take jeep safaris to explore the park. They can also reserve a “hideout” near a water source to increase their chances of seeing wildlife up close.

Best time to visit: October to June

How to reach there: Road access to Jaipur, Hindaun, and Delhi is good.

Price: INR 470 for foreigners, INR 100 for Indians

Known for: Boars, hares, serpents, and eagles.

#8. Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Kanha National Park, spanning over 1,945 sq km, is one of India’s initial tiger reserves designated for Project Tiger. It is renowned as a significant national park in India and serves as a sanctuary for the Barasingha, while also being recognized as one of Asia’s best-maintained national parks. The park is divided into two sections, Banjar and Hallon, named after the rivers that run through them. Various zones within the park, including Sarhi, Kisli, Mukki, and Kanha Zone, offer distinct experiences for visitors.

In addition to tigers, tourists visiting Kanha National Park have the opportunity to encounter a diverse range of animals, such as elephants, jackals, leopards, striped hyenas, monkeys, as well as different types of deer like swamp deer, black buck, chital, and sambhar. Jeep safaris are available for exploring the park.

Best time to visit: November to June

How to reach there: easily accessible from Nagpur and Jabalpur by road

Price: Depending on the zone, between INR 1200 and 2400

Famous For: Jackals, Blackbuck, leopards, and sambhar are well-known for.

#9. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

Ranthambore National Park, situated in North India, is one of the largest parks in the country, spanning an area of 392 square kilometres. It has been designated as a part of Project Tiger and has served as a sanctuary for Royal Bengal Tigers since 1974. Within the park, there is a fortress that attracts many visitors.

In addition to the tigers, a wide range of animals can be observed by visitors, including leopards, bears, jackals, striped hyenas, elephants, bison, monkeys, and various types of deer. The park is also renowned for its diverse snake population. What sets the tigers of Ranthambore apart is their lack of fear towards humans, allowing them to continue hunting even in the presence of people, which greatly enhances the chances of spotting them.

Best time to visit: October to May is the ideal time to visit.

How to Get There:

The closest town, Sawai Madhopur, has good road connections, so that is how you get there.

Price: 510 INR for Indians and 1250 INR for foreigners

Known for: Various snake species.

#10. Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Maharashtra:

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park, previously called the Borivali National Park, is an excellent place for picnics and weekend trips. People from different places visit here to see Kingfisher, Flying foxes, Leopards, Macaques, Lions, Sunbirds, Boars, and many butterflies. The Kanheri caves are over two thousand years old and are a popular tourist attraction within the park. The park has over a hundred types of plants and over five hundred types of animals, and it is famous for its lush forests, birds, butterflies, and a small number of tigers.

Best Time To Visit: Monsoon season is the ideal time to visit.

How to Get There

From Churchgate in Mumbai, take the local rail to Borivali, which will take around an hour. Up to the park gate, you can ride an autorickshaw. The closest railhead is the Borivali railway station.

Price: INR 25 for kids over five and INR 48 for adults

Popular for: the tiger, the porcupine, and the hanuman langur.

Conclusion

So, these are the top 10 national parks in India. To have an amazing encounter with wildlife, you can visit various wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. It will be a wonderful and memorable experience. As you make a list of places to see these animals and decide where to go, remember to relax and take a breath! We recommend going on a trip to India for an adventurous wildlife experience.

FAQs:

Q. Which is The oldest National Park in India?

A. Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India. It began to exist in 1936 and went by the name Hailey National Park. The park’s main goal was to prevent poaching of tigers.

Q. Which National Park is Named After a River?

A. The Manas River inspired the name of Assam’s Manas National Park.

Q. How Many National Parks Are There in India?

A. There are 104 national parks in India, according to data from the National Wildlife Database as of May 2019. The area they occupy is 40501.13 square kilometres. This region makes up 1.23% of the country’s overall geographic area.

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