National Parks of India: Detailed State-Wise Guide with Wildlife

India is known as one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world. Besides cultural diversity, India is also rich in biodiversity.
According to the Botanical Survey of India, India ranks fourth in Asia and tenth in the world in plant diversity.
According to data, 92,037 types of species are found in India, and an estimated two times of these species are undiscovered till now.
To conserve these species, the government has established many national parks.

What are National Parks?

National parks are those protected areas where there are plant or animal species in huge numbers, and no human activities are allowed in these areas.

Till 1970, there were only 5 national parks in India.
Among them, Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand was the first national park.
Now, according to the government, there are 106 national parks in India.
As per the National Wildlife Database, a total of 44,378 sq. km area is covered by these parks, which is about 1.35% of the country’s geographical area.

In this article, I will provide you the detailed knowledge of these national parks.

National Parks in India

Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh:

In Kashmir, there are three national parks:

• Near Srinagar, located Dachigam National Park, which is known for Hangul or Kashmir Stag.

• 2nd: Located in Kishtwar – Kishtwar National Park

• 3rd: Located in Baramulla – Kazinag National Park

In Ladakh, there is only one national park, which is Hemis National Park – it is the largest national park in India, and here snow leopards are found on a large scale.

National Parks in Himachal Pradesh:

There are a total of 5 national parks in Himachal Pradesh:

• In Kullu region: Great Himalayan National Park

• 2nd: Located near Manali – Inderkilla National Park

• 3rd: Located near Kasol – Kheerganga National Park

• Pin Valley National Park

• 5th: Located in Sirmaur – Simbalbara National Park, which is also known as Colonel Sher Jung National Park

You should also know that the Great Himalayan National Park is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.

National Parks in Uttarakhand:

There are a total of 6 national parks:

• Jim Corbett National Park

• Gangotri National Park

• Govind National Park

• Nanda Devi National Park

• Rajaji National Park

• Valley of Flowers National Park

Among these 6 national parks, Jim Corbett National Park is the most famous park because it is India's oldest and first national park.
It is present in Nainital, established in 1936, and was first known as Hailey National Park.

Jim Corbett was the first national park under the Project Tiger initiative launched by Indira Gandhi’s Government.

National Parks in Haryana:

There are two national parks located in Haryana:

• First: Situated in Yamunanagar District – Kalesar National Park, which is famous for leopards, panthers, elephants, red jungle fowl, and bird watching.

• Second: Located near Gurugram – Sultanpur National Park, which was also declared a Ramsar Site in 2021.

National Parks in Rajasthan:

There are a total of 5 national parks:

• Desert National Park

• Keoladeo National Park

• Mukundra Hills National Park

• Ranthambore National Park

• Sariska Tiger Reserve National Park

Among all these five national parks:

• Keoladeo National Park is the most famous. It is situated in Bharatpur District and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, more than 350 bird species are found.

• The second most famous is Mukundra Hills National Park, which is spread across 759.99 sq. km. It was established in 2004, and inside this national park, there are three wildlife sanctuaries, including the National Chambal Sanctuary.

National Parks in Gujarat:

There are a total of 4 national parks in Gujarat:

• In Navsari District – Vansda National Park

• In Bhavnagar District – Blackbuck National Park

• On the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch – Marine National Park, which has 42 islands

• Gir Forest National Park – It was established by the Nawab of Junagadh in 1965 as his private hunting ground, spread over 1,410 sq. km area.

  • Out of this, 258 sq. km is national park area, and the remaining 1,151 sq. km is protected as wildlife sanctuary.

  • In today’s time, Gir National Park is the only place where Asiatic Lions are found.

  • These species are listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List.

National Parks in Madhya Pradesh:

There are a total of 11 national parks:

• Bandhavgarh National Park

• Dinosaur Fossil National Park

• Fossils National Park

• Kanha National Park

• Kuno National Park

• Madhav National Park

• Panna National Park

• Pench National Park

• Sanjay National Park

• Satpura National Park

• Van Vihar National Park

Among these, Bandhavgarh National Park and Pench National Park are the most famous.

• Bandhavgarh National Park is located near Umaria District. In this national park, a large number of tigers are seen.

• Apart from tigers, several species of leopards and deer are also found.

National Parks in Maharashtra:

There are a total of 5 national parks in Maharashtra:

• Chandoli National Park – In Sangli

• Gugamal National Park – In Amravati

• Navegaon National Park – In Gondia

• Sanjay Gandhi National Park – In Mumbai

• Tadoba National Park – Situated in Chandrapur

National Park in Goa:

• Mollem National Park – It was earlier known as Mollem Game Sanctuary, but in 1979, the government declared it a wildlife sanctuary and renamed it Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary.

• Mollem National Park is spread across an area of 107 sq. km within this sanctuary.

• Later in 1978, it was declared as a national park.

National Parks in Karnataka:

There are a total of 5 national parks in Karnataka:

1. Anshi National Park – Part of the Kali Tiger Reserve, located in North Kannada District.

2. Bandipur National Park – Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, and was established as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger.

3. Bannerghatta National Park – Situated near Bengaluru. Here, tigers, sloth bears, peacocks, elephants, and deer are found in large numbers.

4. Kudremukh National Park

5. Nagarhole National Park

National Parks in Kerala

There are a total of 6 national parks in Kerala:

1. Periyar National Park – Known for elephants and tigers

2. Silent Valley National Park

3. Eravikulam National Park

4. Anamudi Shola National Park

5. Pampadum Shola National Park

6. Mathikettan Shola National Park

National Parks in Tamil Nadu

There are:

1. Indira Gandhi Sanctuary and National Park

2. Guindy National Park

3. Mudumalai National Park – It is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is the second oldest park of India

4. Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

5. Mukurthi National Park – Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012

National Parks in Andhra Pradesh

There are three national parks in Andhra Pradesh:

1. Papikonda National Park – An important bird and biodiversity area

2. Rajiv Gandhi National Park – Near Rameshwaram, located in Kadapa district, on the north bank of the Penna River

3. Sri Venkateswara National Park – Located near Tirumala

National Parks in Telangana

There are three national parks in Telangana:

1. Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park – Once a private hunting ground for the Nizam of Hyderabad

2. Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park – Declared an eco-sensitive zone by the government on 27th Oct 2020

3. Mrugavani National Park – Famous for jacobin cuckoo birds

National Parks in Odisha

There are two national parks in Odisha:

1. Simlipal National Park

2. Bhitarkanika National Park – The second Ramsar Site of Odisha after Chilika Lake, where saltwater crocodiles, Indian pythons, king cobras, black ibis, and many more species are found

National Parks in Chhattisgarh

There are three national parks in Chhattisgarh:

1. Sanjay National Park or Guru Ghasidas National Park – Situated between Koriya District of Chhattisgarh and Singrauli District of Madhya Pradesh. It is part of the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve

2. Indravati National Park – Located in Dantewada, home to endangered wild buffaloes

3. Kanger Ghati National Park – Located in Jagdalpur

National Park in Jharkhand

• Betla National Park – Located in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, in Palamu and Latehar districts, and is one of the tiger reserve national parks of India

National Parks in West Bengal

There are six national parks in West Bengal:

1. Buxa National Park

2. Gorumara National Park

3. Neora Valley National Park

4. Jaldapara National Park

5. Singalila National Park

6. Sundarbans National Park – Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and added to the Ramsar list in 2019

? Buxa Tiger Reserve National Park is one of the largest national parks, spread over 760 sq. km and home to more than 1,500 flora species and 284 bird species

National Park in Bihar

• Valmiki National Park – It is the 18th Tiger Reserve of India

National Park in Uttar Pradesh

• Dudhwa National Park – It is one of the most famous national parks in India, home to half the world’s population of Barasingha

• It is part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

• Due to the efforts of Billy Arjan Singh, it was declared a national park in 1977

National Park in Sikkim

• Khangchendzonga National Park – Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016
  It is India's first Mixed Heritage Site

(Mixed Heritage Sites are those significant from both natural and cultural perspectives)

National Parks in Assam

There are seven national parks in Assam:

1. Dibru-Saikhowa National Park – Largest swamp forest

2. Dehing Patkai National Park – Largest lowland forest

3. Raimona National Park

4. Manas National Park – A biosphere reserve, elephant reserve, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to rare animals like Hispid hare, Assam roofed turtle, golden langur, and pygmy hog

5. Kaziranga National Park – Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhinoceroses

6. Nameri National Park

7. Orang National Park

National Parks in Arunachal Pradesh

There are two national parks in Arunachal Pradesh:

1. Mouling National Park – Located in the Siang Valley

2. Namdapha National Park – Located near Miao. More than 1,000 floral and 1,400 faunal species are found here

National Park in Nagaland

• Ntangki National Park – Located in the Peren District

National Parks in Manipur

• Keibul Lamjao National Park – The only floating national park of India

• Sirohi National Park

National Parks in Tripura

There are two national parks in Tripura:

1. Clouded Leopard National Park

2. Rajbari National Park

National Parks in Mizoram

• Murlen National Park

• Phawngpui National Park

National Parks in Meghalaya

• Balphakram National Park

• Nokrek National Park – Declared a UNESCO World Biosphere Site in 2009

National Parks in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

There are nine national parks in Andaman and Nicobar:

1. Campbell Bay National Park

2. Galathea National Park

3. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park

4. Middle Button Island National Park

5. Mount Harriet National Park

6. North Button Island National Park

7. Rani Jhansi Marine National Park

8. Saddle Peak National Park

9. South Button Island National Park – The smallest national park in India, spread across 5 sq. km