Top 5 National Parks of India

The national parks of India are treasure troves for nature lovers, containing a wide range of geographical and climatic diversity. Within India’s boundaries you can find the soaring Himalayan mountain range, the lush rainforests of the Western Ghats, the arid Thar Desert, and 4,600 miles of coastline. Though the forest cover in India is only at about 22%, the subcontinent is home to about 10% of world's species.

The country’s first national park (now known as Jim Corbett National Park) was created in 1936. Up until 1970, there were only five national parks of India. But in 1971, much to everyone’s shock, it was discovered that there were only about 1,800 wild Tigers left in India. Within two years, both the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger were created, which has led to a substantial increase in India’s tiger population. Today, there are 103 national parks and 50 tiger reserves in India. They preserve and protect an astonishing degree of biodiversity that includes 70% of the world’s wild tigers, white lions, sloth bears, hundreds of bird species, and much more flora and fauna.



1. Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park is a paradise for wildlife lovers. With a core zone of 363 square miles, it’s the largest national park in Central India. It’s also considered one of the most well-managed. The result is a beautiful park that’s teeming with wildlife. With approximately 105 Bengal tigers, it’s a great place to spot the big cats in the wild. But there’s so much else to see there, including leopards, sloth bears, sambar and barasingha deer. Kanha’s breeding program played a very important role in saving the barasingha from extinction.   



2. Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh is very picturesque, and popular with photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. It’s always on the lists of the top national parks in India. The ruins of an ancient fort makes for a great backdrop to this park, with a core area of 40 square miles and a buffer area of approximately 154 square miles. It’s one of the best places to 
spot a tiger in India. Located among the Vindya Hills in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh boasts one of the highest densities of Bengal tigers in the world. But the magnificent cat is not the only attraction here. There are also 36 other mammals, including leopards, chital, dhole and nilgai (“blue bulls”), more than 150 species of birds, and around 80 species of butterflies.



3. Kaziranga National Park

Located in the northeast state of Assam, Kaziranga is one of the finest wildlife refuges in the world. Home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos, the park is an undisturbed natural area of wet grasslands, swamps, and pools in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. On the UNESCO Natural Heritage list for India, Kaziranga is a great conservation success story, having saved the one-horned rhino from the brink of extinction. In 1903, there were only 12 left in the region; now there are about 1,800.

The park also harbors several other endangered species, such as Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, sloth bears, Gangetic dolphin, and many migratory birds. It’s the only park in India where elephant-back safaris are still deemed acceptable, as it’s the only way to view wildlife in the wet grasslands.



4. Nagarhole National Park

Nagarhole is Karnataka’s leading national park and wildlife getaway. Bounded by the pristine Kabini River and part of the Nilgiri biosphere, Nagarhole was formerly the hunting grounds of the Maharajah of Mysore and was declared a tiger reserve in 1999. This region is home to the largest concentration of herbivores in Asia, and the largest congregation of Asiatic elephants in the world. Tigers, leopards, sloth bears and dhole (wild dogs) also roam these enchanting forests. A year-round temperate climate and incredible wildlife viewing opportunities make Nagarhole a true nature lover’s paradise.



5. Ranthambhore National Park

With the picturesque remains of a crumbling fort, a living temple, and three mirror-like lakes, Ranthambhore is one of the most photographed national parks in India. The former hunting grounds of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Ranthambhore National Park is part of a much larger 502 square mile tiger reserve. It’s home to approximately 45 Bengal tigers, and is within easy travel distance of Delhi. This makes it a very popular place indeed. Still, it’s a good place to spot tigers as well as leopards, caracal, sloth bears, spotted and sambar deer, nilgai and Indian gazelle, golden jackal, striped hyena, pangolin, honey badger and more.