8 Best Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks in Uttarakhand

At a distance of 4 km from Ramnagar Railway Station, 65 km from Nainital, 232 km from Dehradun, and 261 km from Delhi, Jim Corbett National Park is India's oldest and most popular National Park in India. The Park acts as a protection zone for Bengal Tigers of India. It is one of the wellknown wildlife sanctuaries in India and among the best places to visit near Delhi.

Corbett National Park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. After India's independence the park was named as Ramganga National Park but later in 1956, it was renamed after Jim Corbett - the famous hunter turned conservationist and author, who played a major role in the establishment of the national park. The area came under Project Tiger in 1973. Spread over an area of about 520 sq. km, out of which 330 sq. km forms the core area. Owing to its location in the Himalayan low lands, many streams flow through the park, supporting the diverse vegetation. The altitude of this park ranges from 360 m to 1,040 m. Jim Corbett National Park is among the must include place in your Nainital tour package.

Corbett National Park is one of the best managed and protected areas in the country and attracts thousands of Indian and Foreign visitors each year. It is home to around 50 species of trees, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species. The park is also home to wide ...

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At a distance of 26 km from Lata Village, 52 km from Joshimath, 94 km from Badrinath, 300 km from Rishikesh, 345 km from Dehradun, 327 km from Haridwar and 535 km from Delhi, Nanda Devi National Park is situated in the higher ranges of Himalayas in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The entire park lies at an altitude of 3,500 m and is surrounded by the Nanda Devi Mountains on three sides. It is one of the most scenic national parks in India apart from being a top trekking destination as well as one of the popular Tourist places in Uttarakhand.

The Nanda Devi basin was declared a game sanctuary in 1939. In 1982, an area of 630.33 sq. km was added and it was declared a national park, which now forms the core zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Along with adjoining Valley of Flowers National Park, Nanda Devi Park was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

Nanda Devi National Park covers an area of 630.33 sq. km, which is surrounded by a buffer zone of 5148.57 sq. km. The whole region of Nanda Devi National Park falls under the Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA). The park is divided into two parts - Inner Sanctuary and Outer Sanctuary. The Upper Rishi Valley, often referred to as the Inner Sanctuary is featured by Changabang, North Rishi and North Nanda Devi glaciers. The Trisul and Ramani glaciers ...

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At a distance of 1.5 km by trek from Gangotri, Gangotri National Park is a national park situated in the upper catchment of Bhagirathi River in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The Park falls under the bio-geographical zone and is situated at an altitude of 1800 m to 7083 m. It is one of the most beautiful high-altitude wildlife sanctuaries in India apart from being one of the best areas for trekking in Uttarakhand.

Gangotri National Park was established in 1989 and it covers an area of 2390 sq. km. The northeastern boundary of Gangotri National Park is along the international boundary with China and has various springs, waterfalls and snowy mountain peaks. The river Bhagirathi flows through the valleys inside the park, providing it the nourishment for sustaining the innumerable bird and animal species in this region. The landscape of the park is mainly dominated by alpine scrub, oak and betula.

The origin of Ganga River, known as Gaumukh, is located inside Gangotri National Park. The enchanting beauty of the area is dominated by the snow clad mountains, eye catching springs and tall dense green forests. Gangotri National Park has typical high altitude ecosystem influenced by the trans-Himalayan elements. The area enclosed by the park also borders with Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Govind National Park.

The park contains more than 15 species of mammals and 150 species of birds. This also includes some of ...

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At a distance of 25 km from Bhaironghati and 34 km from Gangotri, the Nelong valley is a valley situated inside the Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The unexplored Nelong valley, situated at an altitude of around 11,000 feet, has a mountain desert landscape similar like Lahaul-Spiti and Leh-Ladakh.

The valley was reopened for tourists in May 2015 after a gap of 53 years. The valley had been closed to civilians since the 1962 Indo-China war, but before the war, it was the major corridor for Indo -Tibetan trade. The valley still contains some of the earlier infrastructure such as the Gartang Galion wooden bridge and the Lal Devta temple. The valley offers a panoramic view of the Tibetan plateau. Apart from the charming landscapes, Nelong Valley is also home to some of the important wildlife species like snow leopard, Himalayan blue sheep and musk deer.

The valley can be approached from Bhaironghati, located about 90 km away from Uttarkashi town. From Bhaironghati, One can take a 25 km ride in a forest department vehicle to reach the valley. The state forest department has decided to allow six forest department vehicles carrying four people each. A permit letter from the sub-divisional magistrate along with fitness certificate is required to visit the area. Foreign tourists are prohibited from visiting the valley owing to its strategic location on the India-China border.

The best time to visit Nelong Valley is from May to November ...

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At a distance of 15 km from Tallital Bus Stand and 3 km from Pangot, Pangot and Kilbury Bird Sanctuary is a bird watcher's paradise on Kilbury road in Nainital. This is one of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand, and among the top Nainital tourist places.

Kilbury is one of the prime places to visit as part of Nainital tour. Located at an altitude of 2528 m, the sanctuary is famous for numerous bird species. It is surrounded by dense forests of oak, pine, and rhododendron which provides ample opportunities for bird watching.

One of India's scenic and famous birding routes, Kilbury is known for more than 580 species of birds. Both migratory and local birds can be spotted in the region. The most commonly found birds are the Brown wood Owls, White-throated laughing thrushes, Collared Grosbeaks, and Fork tails. The Sanctuary is situated in the reserve forest of Nainital. The place is calm and serene and the occasional sounds made by birds are just pleasant to the ears.

A lot of Mammals can be spotted here such as Leopard cat, Sambar, Himalayan Goral, Barking deer, Wild Boar, Red Fox. Kilbury has a tourist bungalow for visitors who want to spend a day in the company of birds.

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At a distance of 26 km from Almora, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the foothills of Himalayas in Almora district of Uttarakhand. It is one of the must visit places as part of wildlife tours in India.

Binsar wildlife sanctuary was declared in the year 1988. This reserve forest is located at an altitude of 2270 m and it covers an area of 47.04 sq. km. The peak point known as Jhandi Dhar is at an elevation of 2412 m. Apart from protecting wildlife, the sanctuary was established with an aim to conserve the broad leaf oak forests, mainly located in the Central Himalayan region.

Binsar was the summer capital of the Chand Kings, who ruled Kumaon from the 11th to 18th centuries. During British rule there was a base at Almora and during summer Binsar was used as official summer capital. There are 5 villages inside the sanctuary and 30 villages on the boundary of the sanctuary.

This sanctuary is rich in diversified flora and fauna as the place is home to variety of plants and animals. The sanctuary has been declared an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International as there are more than 200 species of birds in the sanctuary, including Fork tail, Blackbirds, Laughing Thrush, Pheasant, Nuthatches, Parakeets and Monal. The Sanctuary is also home to Barking Deer, Himalayan bear, leopard, fox, musk deer, langur, porcupine, flying squirrel, chital, jungle cat etc.

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, perched on top ...

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At a distance of 12 km from Library Bus Stand, Benog Wildlife Sanctuary has is a bird-watching haven and a part of famous Rajaji National Park, one of the popular wildlife sanctuaries in India. Set amidst thick forests, Benog Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the top tourist destinations in Mussoorie and among the must include in Mussoorie packages.

Benog Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Vinog Mountain Quail Sanctuary, was established in the year 1993. This beautiful sanctuary, spreading across an expanse of about 339 hectares, is a heaven for birdwatchers. It is located in a pine-clad slope and is surrounded by snowcapped peaks of the Himalayan ranges.

The place is known for the rare species of birds that habitats in its area. The sanctuary is home to several species of exotic birds such as White Capped Water Redstart and Red Billed Blue Magpie to name a few. The Mountain Quail or the Pahari Bater was last spotted here in 1876, and is now considered extinct. This is also home to a variety of rare and common fauna like Himalayan goat, panther, leopard, deer and bear.

Apart from large number of fir and pine trees, this sanctuary is also populated with several medicinal plants. Beautiful views of snow peaks like Chaukhamba and Bandar Punch can be seen from this sanctuary. Aglar River, a tributary of Yamuna River ...

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At a distance of 8 km from Haridwar, 21 km from Rishikesh & 55 km from Dehradun, Rajaji National Park is a Tiger Reserve situated at the edge of the sprawling Dehradun Valley. It is one of the must-visit national parks in India, and among the top tourist places in Haridwar.

Motichur Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers about 90 sq. km, was carved out of Dehradun forests in the year 1966. Similarly, Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary was formed from the Shivalik forests and Chilla Wildlife Sanctuary from the Lansdowne forests in 1967 and 1974 respectively. The Rajaji National Park was established by merging these three wildlife sanctuaries and named Rajaji National Park in the year 1983 after the famous freedom fighter and the last Governor-General of India Sri C. Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji.
 
Spread over an area of 820.42 sq. km, the Rajaji National Park is situated along with the Shivalik ranges in the Himalayan foothills and bordered by Haridwar, Dehradun, and Chillawali. The Park comprises the Shivalik ecosystem. The Motichur and Rajaji sanctuaries are contiguous and are separated from the Chilla Sanctuary by the Ganges River and the Chilla River. Rajaji National Park is rich in diverse species of flora and fauna. It is one of the best national parks in Uttarakhand.

The ...

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