Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in Uttarakhand

Note: Uttaranchal was officially renamed Uttarakhand in January 2007. The state name still appears as "Uttaranchal" on older travel sites and signs.

The Himalayan state of Uttarakhand has six national parks and seven wildlife sanctuaries, ranging from the shorea-and-sal jungles of the Terai foothills to glacier-and-meadow national parks above 4,000 metres. Two of them — Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers — are inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Most international visitors come for Jim Corbett, the country's oldest and best-known tiger reserve.

Jim Corbett National Park

The first national park established in India (1936) and the first reserve to come under Project Tiger in 1973. Corbett covers about 520 sq km of the core area, with an additional ~466 sq km of buffer/Sonanadi sanctuary, between the Himalayan foothills and the plains, around the river Ramganga and its tributaries. Approximately 290 km from Delhi.

What you'll see

~250 Bengal tigers at the latest census — one of the highest densities in India.
Asian elephants in large herds, especially in the Dhikala chaur (grassland) area.
Leopards in the hill zones; leopard cat, jungle cat, fishing cat in the lower forest.
Sloth bear in the lower regions; Himalayan black bear higher up.
Sambar, chital, hog deer, barking deer, gaur, dhole, jackal, and over 600 bird species.

Tourism zones

Corbett is divided into multiple zones; tourism is run separately in each. Choose by what you want to see:

Dhikala — the classic core zone, requires advance permit; only zone with overnight Forest-Rest-House lodging inside the park (Dhikala FRH). Best chance of tigers.
Bijrani — the most popular day-safari zone; high tiger and elephant density, easier to book.
Jhirna — open year-round (most other zones close in monsoon); lower tiger density but a different scrub-forest landscape; good for sloth bear.
Dhela — newer zone added in 2014; lighter visitor traffic.
Durga Devi — hilly, north-east entry; mahseer fishing on the Ramganga.
Garjia / Sitabani (buffer/reserve forest) — accessible without a Forest Department permit; less wildlife but cheaper and less hassle.

Best time to visit

Mid-November to mid-June for the core zones (Dhikala, Bijrani, Dhela, Durga Devi, Sonanadi).
June 16 to November 14 these zones close because heavy monsoon rains flood the river beds and access roads.
Jhirna is open year-round.
March to May is peak tiger-sighting season — water is scarce, vegetation is thin, animals concentrate near remaining waterholes.

How to get there

By air: Pantnagar (PGH), about 50 km from Ramnagar; limited domestic flights. Dehradun (DED) is further but better connected.
By train: Ramnagar railway station is the gateway. The classic option is the Ranikhet Express from Delhi (overnight, arriving early morning), or several other services from Delhi, Lucknow and Moradabad. Tour operators routinely meet trains at Ramnagar.
By road: about 6 hours by car/taxi from Delhi; well-marked highway.

Booking and entry

Online safari booking through the official Corbett Tiger Reserve portal — book as far ahead as the portal allows (typically 45–60 days for day safaris, longer for Dhikala).
Day safaris run morning and afternoon, in shared 6-seater jeeps. Canter (open-bus) safaris to Dhikala run from Ramnagar.
Foreign-tourist fees are higher than Indian-citizen fees; expect to pay several thousand rupees per person for a typical safari combination including entry, vehicle and guide.
Carry your passport. Photo ID is checked at every gate.
Camera and video fees are billed separately at the gate.

Rajaji National Park

A 820 sq km elephant-and-tiger park spread between Haridwar and Dehradun, easily combined with a visit to the Char Dham pilgrim circuit. Made a separate national park in 1983 and a tiger reserve in 2015.

What you'll see: elephants (one of the largest populations in north-west India), small but growing tiger numbers, leopards, Himalayan black bear, sambar, chital, dhole, and the rare King cobra. Over 400 bird species.
Three tourism zones: Chilla (the main zone, near Haridwar; the most reliable for elephants), Jhilmil/Mohand, and Ramgarh.
Best time: mid-November to mid-June.
Closest hub: Haridwar railway station and Dehradun airport.

Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks

Adjacent national parks in the Garhwal Himalayas, jointly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 (Nanda Devi was added first in 1988; Valley of Flowers extended the listing in 2005).

Nanda Devi National Park

A glacier and high-altitude landscape around the Nanda Devi sanctuary, dominated by the 7,816-metre Nanda Devi peak. Closed to tourists since 1983 to protect the fragile ecosystem; only the buffer area accessible. Habitat for snow leopard, Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan tahr, blue sheep (bharal), brown bear and Asiatic black bear.

Valley of Flowers National Park

Open in summer only — typically late May to early October — when the snow melts and the alpine valley becomes a remarkable carpet of wildflowers (over 600 species recorded). Brahma kamal, Himalayan blue poppy, primula, cobra lily and many others.

Access: trek-only from Govindghat / Pulna in Chamoli district, via Ghangaria; about 13 km of moderate uphill trekking each way.
Stay: at Ghangaria (the usual base, also the trail-head for the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage).
Closed during heavy snow (October to May).
Combine with Hemkund Sahib — the Sikh pilgrimage at 4,329 m, a steep day hike from Ghangaria.

Gangotri National Park

A high-altitude park around the Gaumukh glacier source of the Ganges. Used mainly by serious trekkers heading to Gaumukh and Tapovan. Habitat for snow leopard, blue sheep, Himalayan tahr and the Himalayan brown bear. Permits issued by the Forest Department at Gangotri village.

Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary

A 958 sq km area in the upper Tons valley of Uttarkashi district. Shares a long boundary with Govind Wildlife Sanctuary; together one of the largest contiguous protected areas in the Garhwal Himalayas. Habitat for snow leopard, brown bear, Himalayan tahr, musk deer. Trekking-only access; the Har Ki Dun valley is the classic trek through this park.

Wildlife sanctuaries

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary — small (47 sq km) sanctuary near Almora in Kumaon, with sweeping views of the high Himalayas (Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli) on a clear morning. Leopards, Himalayan black bear, barking deer, and over 200 bird species. Easy to combine with a hill-station trip to Almora or Kausani.
Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary — between the Mandakini and Alaknanda valleys; Himalayan musk deer is the flagship species, with a captive-breeding centre at Kanchula Kharak.
Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary — buffer area for Corbett; tigers and elephants spill over from the main park.
Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary — far north-east, near the Nepal border; for serious trekkers and naturalists only.
Mussoorie Wildlife Sanctuary — around the popular hill station; leopards and a good roster of Himalayan birds.

Planning a wildlife visit to Uttarakhand

Best season

November to mid-June for the lowland tiger-and-elephant parks (Corbett, Rajaji).
March to May specifically for tiger sightings at Corbett.
Late May to early October for the high-altitude parks (Valley of Flowers, Nanda Devi buffer, Govind, Gangotri).
Monsoon (mid-June to mid-October) closes most lowland parks and floods the access roads to high-altitude parks; specialist trekkers and birders sometimes go anyway, but mainstream travellers should plan around it.

Permits and access

Corbett and Rajaji are open via online portal booking; foreign tourists pay higher fees but the process is identical.
Valley of Flowers needs a Forest Department permit, sold at the entry gate at the Ghangaria trail-head.
Nanda Devi National Park core is closed; only the buffer is accessible with permits arranged through registered trekking operators.
Gangotri, Govind, Askot — Inner Line Permits are required for some of the trekking circuits, particularly anything close to the Tibet border. Arrange through registered Garhwal-based trek operators.

Where to stay

Corbett: Dhikala Forest Rest House inside the park is the classic — very basic but the only way to be inside the core zone after dark. Outside the gate, Ramnagar / Dhikuli has resorts at every price point (Aahana, Jim's Jungle Retreat, Tiger Camp, Corbett Hideaway etc.).
Rajaji: GMVN tourist bungalows at Chilla, plus a handful of jungle resorts in Haridwar/Rishikesh.
High-altitude parks: GMVN-run guesthouses at Govindghat, Ghangaria, Joshimath, Uttarkashi and other base towns; book early in the short trekking season.

What to pack

Earth tones, layered clothing, binoculars, long lens for tigers.
For high-altitude parks: four-season-equivalent layers, rain shell, sun cream and lip balm (UV is strong above 3,000 m), good trekking boots.
Diamox if you're trekking above 4,000 m and your doctor approves it.
Plastic-bottle reduction: several Uttarakhand parks (Valley of Flowers, Nanda Devi area) restrict or ban single-use plastic bottles. Carry a refillable bottle.