Top 25 National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuaries in India

With the covering an approximate area of 8600 hectares, the Harike Wetland is a manmade lake and wetland shaped by the head works built in 1953 on the coming together of the Beas and the Sutlej rivers. The wetland is characterize by the Harike freshwater lake and is a home for more than 200 species of birds along with a rich marine flora and fauna.

The South Button Island National Park is situated towards the south-west of Havelock islands in the Andaman Islands of India. The marine sanctuary is a well-known for its scuba diving spot famous for its coral reefs and the marine life that they harbor. 

The Desert National Park is to be found amidst the sand dunes of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. The national park was get conventional in 1992 and comprises mainly of grasslands and sand dunes. It is the most excellent place to scrutinize and spot the rare and endangered desert animal and plant species.

Situated in the Gulf of Mannar, The marine national park comes under the command of the state of Tamil Nadu and lies between India and Sri Lanka. The Gulf of Mannar National Park contains over 3600 species of marine fauna and several other endangered species. 

The much known Betla National Park is situated in the Indian state of Jharkhand and was recognized as India’s first tiger reserve. The park is enclosed with an awning of tropical and mixed deciduous forests and temperate alpine forests in the upper reaches. 

Positioned by the Periyar River in Kerala, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1928 and is spread across 305 square Kilometers. Being located between the mountain ridges the protected area is famous for its population of the Indian Tiger and the Asiatic Elephants.

The oldest water bird sanctuary in India, The Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary was established in 1936. Located in the state of Tamil Nadu the protected area is home to more than a thousand species of birds along with several monkeys. 

Located in Rajasthan, the Sariska National Park is one of the major areas of the Bengal Tiger population of India. Although the area wasn’t originally populated by the regal cat species, it is one of the few places in the world where an apex predator like the Tiger was successfully relocated from the other areas of India. Apart from the Tiger, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Striped hyena, Sambhar deer and Chinkara etc. are few of the rare species found here.

Also recognized as the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, the protected forest is located in Tamil Nadu and was recognized in 1962. The Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary was affirmed a tiger reserve in 1988 and is increase across an area of 895 square kilometers. 

Also known as the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, forest reserve is spread across an area of 958 sq kilometers. The Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Tamil Nadu and is home to several endangered animal species and is surrounded by several peaks and rivers.

Located on the Great Nicobar Island, the Campbell Bay National Park is spread in an area of 462 square kilometers and is a part of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. The protected forests are almost unexplored and contain several rare and endemic species of flora, fauna, avi-fauna and marine life.

Located in Uttar Pradesh, Dudhwa National Park is spread across an area of 490.3 sq Kilometers. The Dudhwa National Park was established in 1977 as a sanctuary to the swamp deer or the commonly known Barasingha and is also one of the few remaining habitats of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceroses. 

Situated amidst the mighty confines of the Nanda Devi peak, the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and National Park was established in 1982. The protected forests are located in the state of Uttrakhand and lies at an average elevation of 3500 meters above sea level.

Also known as Hemis High Altitude National Park, it is the largest national park in India with an area that spans across 4,400 sq kilometers. Interestingly the park also contains several Tibetan-Buddhist gompas and monasteries and is visited by several tourists. 

With one of the highest tiger populations in India, Bhandavgarh National Park is said to be located on a place said to have given by Lord Rama to Lakshamana, The National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh. 

The name of the National Park is taken from the Pench River that flows through the national park from north to south, dividing the park in two equal halves. Pench National Park is famous as being the setting for Rudyard Kipling’s famous collection of stories ‘The Jungle Book’. 

Located in the area containing the 3rd highest peak in the world, Kanchendzonga National Park lays at an elevation ranging from 1,829 meters to 8,550 meters above sea level.

Spanning across an area of 874 sq kilometers, the Bandipur National Park is located in the state of Karnataka. The national park was established in 1974 and is a refuge for several threatened and endangered species of flora and fauna. Tigers, Elephants, sloth bears, Mugger crocodiles, Dholes, Spectacled Cobra and flying lizards etc. can be spotted here.

Known for its colorful marine life and coral reefs, Mahatama Gandhi Marine National Park (Wandur National Park) is one of the most visited national parks in the Andaman Islands. 

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Karnataka and is known as a famous tiger reserves in India. The reserve forests are spread across 866.41 sq kilometers and are the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka.

Located in the foothills of the western Himalayas, the Valley of Flowers National Park lies in the state of Uttarakhand. As the name suggest the park is covered with grassy meadows that gets covered with colorful flowers and is a major tourist attraction in India. 

Situated in an area of 542.67 sq kilometers, the Panna National Park and Tiger Reserve is located in Madhya Pradesh. The protected forest was declared as a tiger reserve in 1994 and is the 5th tiger reserve in the state. 

Located in Meghalaya, the Balpakram National Park contains several plateau and adjoining forests and is placed around 3000 meters above sea level. The park is famous for housing several species of flora and fauna due to its diverse terrain along with marine fossil deposits.

The Park is located in the state of Orrisa and is famous as a reserve for the Asiatic elephant. Similipal National Park is one of the the majority breath taking nature reserves in India with several, forests, grassy meadows and waterfalls

Positioned amidst the lush green hillocks of the Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka, Kudremukh National Park is one of the most excellent located nature reserves in India. The lush green grasslands and the flowing together of three rivers have made it plentiful in flora and fauna.