Top 8 National Parks In Rajasthan is one of the major tourist attractions in the desert state of India. Rajasthan, worldwide known as land of forts & palaces, is home to several wildlife sanctuaries. Though the terrain and environment of Rajasthan is quite tough and inhospitable but still it is bestowed with a large variety of flora, fauna and wildlife. The variety in topography and climate create different kinds of forests and meadows like deciduous forest of Ranthambore, wet & marshland of Bharatpur, dry grasslands of desert & semi green forest of Mount Abu in Aravalli valley.
As a result, Rajasthan happens to be a natural habitat for several endangered species. Among the most popular species are the rarest bird Great Indian Bustard, the endangered Siberian Crane, the most coveted big cat Royal Bengal Tiger etc. Apart from that, there is a wide variety of other animals and birds in Rajasthan wildlife sanctuaries and parks. Some of the famous National Parks of Rajasthan, along with Rajasthan wildlife sanctuaries, are:
Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan
The Ranthambore National Park lies in the lap of the Aravalli and Vindhya mountain ranges. It has diverse wildlife and is spread across an area of 392 square kilometres. This national park has dense deciduous trees and shrubs, big lakes, plenty of small water holes, razor-sharp ridges, deep ravines filled with boulders, narrow valleys and lush greenery. This forest was once the hunting ground for the Royals of Jaipur but was declared as a sanctuary after India gained independence. In 1974, the park was declared as the tiger reserve forest when it was incorporated into the ‘Project Tiger’.
Distance From Jaipur: 154 Km
Things To Do At Ranthambore National Park:
- Tiger safari
- Visit the Ranthambore Fort
- Go to the Trinetra Ganesh temple
- Visit the Museum and Art School
- Buy souvenirs and handicrafts from nearby markets
Best time to visit – From November to March
Sariska National Park in Rajasthan
This is one of the most famous national parks in India. The total area for tiger reserve covers 881 square km along with 274 square km area notified as a national park. It lies within the Aravalli Hills and is home to monkeys, peacocks, sambars, nilgai chital, wild boars and jackals. The landscape of Sariska is dotted with sharp cliffs of hills and valleys. Its dry and deciduous forest gives shelter to various animals. You may see ruins of medieval temples of Garh-Rajor within the park that probably existed in the 10th and 11th centuries. It became a national park in the year 1979 Top 8 National Parks In Rajasthan.
Distance From Jaipur: 120 km
Things To Do At Sariska Tiger Reserve:
- Visit the Kankwari Fort, built by Jai Singh II in the 16th Century.
- See the Royal Bengal Tigers
- Go to the Neelkanth temple
- Visit the palace built by the princes of Alwar.
- Go to Pandupol, which is said to be one of the places of retreat of the Pandavas.
Best time to visit : November to March
Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan
The Keoladeo National Park was earlier known as ‘Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary’. It is a popular avifauna sanctuary that provides shelter to thousands of bird species, especially winter migratory birds. This bird sanctuary and also national park has been accorded the status of one of the world’s most important bird breeding and feeding hubs. The park has an area of 29 square kilometres which hosts more than 360 species of birds. This park was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. In 1982, it was given the status of ‘National Park’ and further listed as a World Heritage Site in 1985.
Distance From Bharatpur: 2.9 km
Things To Do At Keoladeo National Park:
- Bird watching
- Splendid sunrise
- Visit Keoladeo Shiva Temple
- Go to the Rope Castle Adventure Park.
Best time to visit – October to February
Mount Abu National Park in Rajasthan
Mount Abu is one of the nine ecologically-sensitive areas situated in the state of Rajasthan. Situated in the middle of the Aravalli Range, the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is a splendid exhibit of the ecological significance of the state. It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1960. Mount Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan and is considered a perfect spot to get away from the sweltering heat of the Thar Desert Top 8 National Parks In Rajasthan.
Royal Bengal Tigers and Asiatic Lions used to be a part of this sanctuary several decades ago. The common wildlife species that can be easily spotted in the park include Sambar, Leopard, Mongoose, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear etc. Apart from these, more than 250 species of birds can also be seen here.
Distance From Mount Abu: 34.1 km
Things To Do At Mount Abu National Park:
- Jeep Safari
- Bird Watching
- Visit the Sunset Point
- Visit the Nakki Lake
- Visit the Achalgarh Fort
Best time to visit – November to February; April to June
Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan
This sanctuary surrounds the Kumbhalgarh Fortress and covers an area of 610.5 square kilometres. The sanctuary extends across the Aravalli Range, covering parts of Rajsamand, Udaipur, and Pali districts. It is home to a variety of wildlife, some of which are also endangered species. Indian wolf, Indian leopard, sloth bear, striped hyena, Golden jackal, jungle cat, sambhar, nilgai, chausingha (the four-horned antelope), chinkara and Indian hare can be found here. Birds such as junglefowl, peacocks, doves, red spurfowl, parakeet, golden oriole, grey pigeon, bulbul, dove and white-breasted kingfisher can be sighted at the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary.
Distance From Udaipur: 112 km
Things To Do At Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Jeep Safari
- Birdwatching
- Visit the Kumbhalgarh Fort
Best time to visit – October to March
Darrah National Park in Rajasthan
This national park was established in 2004 and consists of three wildlife sanctuaries– Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary and Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located 56 kilometres south of Kota in Rajasthan and has a hilly terrain. Darrah National Park was declared as a ‘protected area’ in 1955. It is home to many species of birds and animals. Panther, Sloth Bear, Wolf, Leopard, Chinkara, Deer, Wild Boar, Antelopes and Sambar are some of the animals found in the park Top 8 National Parks In Rajasthan.
Distance From Kota: 83.5 km
Things To Do At Darrah National Park:
- Visit the Jhalawar Fort
- Explore the bio-diversity of the park
- Go to Jairapatan which has preserved the ruins of the Sun Temple.
Best time to visit – October to March
Sambhar Lake Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Sambhar is India’s largest saline lake covering an area of 190 square kilometres. It lies 60 km west of Jaipur and stretches in length for about 22.5 kilometres, with its width varying between 3 km to 11 km. The lake hosts a large variety of avifauna, especially flamingoes, Northern Shoveller and black-headed gull. Over 45 species of aquatic birds are found here, of which ducks, geese and shorebirds form some of the species Top 8 National Parks In Rajasthan.
Distance From Jaipur: 71.6 km
Things To Do At Sambhar Lake Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Bird watching
- Visit Vinay-Vilas Palace
- Natural retreat
Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a protected area in 1979 and has an area of 422.95 square kilometres. It is thickly forested and spreads over the Aravalli range and the Malva plateau. Seasonal rivers like Jakham, Karmoi, Sitamata, Buddha, and Tankiya flow through the forest. It is located about 45 km from Pratapgarh. An area of 423 square kilometres is mainly dry deciduous vegetation with exceptionally rich flora and fauna. The sanctuary includes a large variety of trees such as Salar, Tendu, Peepal, Babool, Gulmohar, Amaltas, Bakayan, Ashok, Mahua, Semal, Goondi, Khejadi, Kumta, Amla, Bamboo, Chironjee, Rudraksha and Bel trees Top 8 National Parks In Rajasthan.
Distance From Udaipur: 110 Km
Things To Do At Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Visit the Valmiki Ashram
- Go to the Hanuman Mandir
- Visit Lakhiya Bhata, where drawings of prehistoric animals are engraved on rocks.
