Corbett National Park

Established in 1936 as the Hailey National Park, Corbett national park is the first to come under project tiger. The park is located in the Paltidum valley at the base of the Himalayas in the Uttar Pradesh and spreads over an area of 520 sq. km. The park is named after the legendary hunter- naturalist Jim Corbett. With the inclusion of Sonali wildlife sanctuary, the park has grown to 1318 sq. km. The rich bio-diversity of the Reserve is partly attributed to the variety of habitat found here. Due to the location of the Reserve in the foothills of the Central Himalayas, both Himalayan and peninsular flora and fauna is found in the Reserve.

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The terrain of the park comprises of hilly and ravine areas with plateaus and temporary marsh lands. The lower lands of the forest are formed of sal trees. Flat valleys and hilly ridges with rolling grasslands give an excellent view of the park's wildlife. There are more than 110 tree species in the forest.

The fauna consists of 50 mammal species, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species. The tiger population in the park is estimated to be in the nineties. The statistics indicate that there is an increase in the tiger population. Apart from tigers, the wildlife includes leopard, elephant, sloth bear, jungle cat, fishing cat, sambar, chital, mongoose, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan palm civet, common otter, black napped hare, porcupine, fish eating Gharial crocodiles and mugger crocodiles, langurs and rhesus monkeys.

The summer season is from April to June. The wet season is during July-August. The cooler climate is from October through March. The ideal time for visiting the park will be Dec. through April. The winter is very cold and the park will be closed during the Monsoon.

The park is situated about 290km from Delhi. Delhi is also the nearest major airport. The nearest town and railhead is Ramnagar at 50km from the park. The park is accessible by road connections.

Corbett is very rich in avifauna. Zoological Survey of India has recorded over 585 species of resident and migratory birds here. Corbett falls in the newly constituted state of Uttaranchal, curved out of former Utter Pradesh State in 2000.

Accommodation is available near the forest reserve at quality Inn, tiger tops, forest rest houses, tented camps and tourist huts. Accommodation is also available at Ramnagar.

General Information :
Best Time to Visit : November- May.
Nearest Town : Ramnagar (51 Km)

How to Get Here :
Air : Pantnagar (110 Km)
Rail : Ramnagar (51 km).