About Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India and Asia as well, the British government was planning to establish it before 1900 after a long time this dream took place in real and the park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park.Park is situated in two districts of Uttarakhand, which are Nainital and Pauri Garhwal. The reserve was renamed in 1954–55 as Ramganga National Park and was again renamed in 1955–56 as Jim Corbett National Park. After some years of establishing this park got named after Jim Corbett, who was a well-known hunter of men eater tigers and naturalist. This park has the honor to initiate Project tiger which is a successful mission of the Indian government in 1973.
If we talk about geographical and ecological characteristics so Jim Corbett National Park is situated at Himalayan foothills which are wildlife, and ecotourism destinations for wildlife tour and travel lovers. Corbett has 488 species of plants, shrubs, and a different verity if fauna which attracts a lot of tourists, The tiger population in the Corbett National Park has risen from 178 in 2006, 227 in 2010, 340 in 2014, and 442 in 2018.
Corbett has been the best destination for wildlife lovers but the Corbett administration allowed eco-tourism in only some and selected areas. wildlife lovers get chances to perceive and see the beautiful landscape of Corbett Tiger Reserve . If we talk about the last few years so the number of tourists has been increasing for a long time and it crosses the level of 70000 in season.Jim Corbett National Park is open for tourist November to June but Dhela Zone and Jhirna Zone is open round the year. There are 30 jeep safaris in the morning and evening time. So sometimes it is impossible to get a safari pass that's why wildlife lovers booked safari pass before 30 days. The Park is spread over 520.8 km2 which includes hill, marshy depressions, grasslands, one big lake, and 3 rivers. In Corbett, winter is too cold at night but the day is full of sun and bright, rain starts from July to September.
Corbett is covered with lush green dense forest which includes sal, mango, peepal, Rohini, and haldu trees. In this park forest has covered most of the area (73%), Grasslands are spread in (10%) area of this park. Jim Corbett National Park has 110 species of trees, some 50 species of mammals, 588 species of birds, and 25 reptile species.
Jim Corbett - Biography
The fable of Edward Jim Corbett is still persisting in the minds and hearts of the people of Garhwal and Kumaon. People all over the world know Jim Corbett from his fabulous writings as a famous hunter who later became the adversary of many notorious man-eaters. There are four biographies on him and three films on his life that displays the lucid accounts of his exploits that he has given in his books.
Edward James Corbett was born 25th July 1875 of English ancestry in Nainital districts of Uttarakhand. He grew up spending much of his childhood exploring the wilderness that exists around. Jim Corbett lived his life amidst dense jungle and developed a deep knowledge of the way. Sir Jim Corbett spent his major part of his life at Gurney House (located in Nainital) with his large family, his mother Mary Jane Corbett and his sister Margaret Winfred Corbett, fondly called Maggie. His father, who was postmaster in Nainital died when Jim Corbett was four. The whole responsibility fell to Corbett's mother to raise and educate 12 children on a widow's meager pension. Soon after an early age Jim Corbett has to face with the responsibility of supporting his family of six members so he took up a job with the railways.
Over the years he became a good hunter as well as wonderful naturalist. He was blessed with the excellent observation, fleet- footed and great stamina. He was so intelligent and active that he could read the signs of the forest and movement of wildlife as put all senses on (sight, hearing and smelling) while moving in the forests. He has a record of killing 19 tigers and 14 leopards. He was also a pioneer conservationist and played a key role in the establishment of present Jim Corbett National Park. He led a confirmed bachelor life and remained an active member of many wildlife preservation organizations and helped in conserving these natural resources.
Wildlife Safari In Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park offers unmatched options like jeep safari, elephant safari and canter safari for the tourists to begin their adventure wildlife trip into the forest.
1. Elephant Safari : Having a trip on an elephant’s back is fashionable and of great fun. The elephant safari starts at Durgadevi gate (north-eastern border) of the reserve and completes at Halduparao (north-western boundary). The charge of elephant safari for Indian is INR 500 / Person and for Foreigner it is INR 1500 / Person. One elephant is allowed to carry only 4 Persons at a time. It covers the Bijrani area. You can take an elephant ride from 6:30 AM - 10:00 AM in the Morning and from 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM in the Afternoon.
2. Jeep Safari : Discover the wilderness and varied species of flora & fauna of Jim Corbett National Park through jeep safari. It is the fast and comfortable mode to explore this area. The charge of jeep safari for Indian is INR 4000 / Jeep and for Foreigner, it is INR 7000 / Jeep. Only 6 persons are allowed in a single Jeep. It covers zones like Bijrani, Sitabani and Jhirna. For Durgadevi the charge differs it is INR 4500 / Jeep. Jeep safari can be enjoyed from 5:30 AM - 9:00 AM in the morning and 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM in the evening.
3. Canter Safari : If you want to explore Dhikala forest or staying in a resort, center safari is the only option. There are two canter safari services in a day- one is from 0600 Hrs (sunrise time) and the other at 1200 Hrs (afternoon). The 05 Hrs extensive ride through canter safari will give immense pleasure.
The charge of canter safari for Indian is INR 1500 / Person and for Foreigner it is INR 3000 / Person. The canter has 16 seats and covers Dhikala. Canter safari can be enjoyed from 6:00 AM - 11:30 AM in the morning and from 12:00 PM - 5:30 PM in the Afternoon.
Safari Timings
- Park Entry : 06:30 hours to 17:30 hours. (timing flexible as per season)
- Jeep Safaris : 06:30 hours to 09:30 hours and 13:30 hours to 17:30 hours.(timing flexible as per season).
Climate of Jim Corbett National Park
The weather remains moderate here with a varying temperature of 5°C to 30°C during the winter and rise up to 40°C during summer. Winter mornings are foggy. Monsoons receive heavy rainfall in Corbett.
Climate : The weather remains moderate here with a varying temperature of 5°C to 30°C during the winter and rise up to 40°C during summer. Winter mornings are foggy. Monsoons receive heavy rainfall in Corbett.
Best Time to Visit Jim Corbett National Park
Spanned over beautiful areas of Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Nainital of Uttarakhand state in India, Jim Corbett National Park is a large and appealing site and is amongst the oldest parks in India. This park is mainly recognised for Project Tiger which is a project on India's endangered Bengal tiger. So, it is not just a park, but a big and renowned tiger reserve as well which covers an area of 1318.54 sq.km in which 520 sq. km is the main area and remaining part is buffer area. The park is named after Col. Jim Corbett since 1956.
So, the visit to Jim Corbett National Park is truly memorable and unforgettable. It remains open from the mid of November to the mid of June months. However, there is a Jhirna zone in the park that remains open for whole year long. The famous Birjani zone of this park welcomes the visitors from mid of October to mid of June months and Dhikala zone allows visitors to visit inside from November 15 to mid of June. During monsoon period, the road of Dhikala and Birjani zones get completely washed away. Moreover, after the sunset, the gates of the park get closed and no drive out is allowed that time.
Right Season to Plan Your Visit to Jim Corbett National Park
Winter Season - Within October to February In winter season or a period of October to February, you will find this park a true abode of beautiful and unseen birds. So, for birding, this is the most captivating period as at this time, you will meet unseen variety of birds there. Besides birds, you can sight majestic Bengal tiger roaming around the park in the winter season. So, there are high chances to have a natural sight of endangered tiger then. Mostly at night, the temperature of this park goes down to 5 degree Celsius. However, the day time is quite balmy and pleasant. In the day time, animals come out for lazing around in sun; so you can spot them easily there.
Monsoon - During July to September Months Though the monsoon season is not that appealing time for visitors to come over Jim Corbett National Park, yet we suggest you to visit during this time if you do not prefer visiting this site in crowd. In this season, mostly the crowd gets declined. So, we must say that it is an ideal season to have amazing trekking experience. At that time, the overall weather has an appealing aura as the temperature drops. It is said that in rainy season, the animals enjoy their mating time. So, tourists can get experience of this moment as well. Though we should not forget to mention that visiting this season accompanies a great risk of landslides and soil erosion. Hence, it can be a little risky also. But the beauty will be at its peak with exotic greenery and amazing vegetation around.
Summer Season - During March to June Months The time from March to mid of June is called summer season in India. During the summer season, the temperature remains quite high. In day time, the weather becomes too hot and scorching that may go up to 40 degree c. So, in this time, the animals and other inhabitants of the park suffer from the extreme heat of sun.
This season is called to be the best visiting season as it allows visitors to get the most of the animals inhabiting in the park. Come during this season here and enjoy river rafting and have an unforgettable meet with endangered animals and bird species closely.
Best Places to Stay in Jim Corbett National Park
- Dhikala Tourism Zone
- Dhela Tourism Zone
- Jhirna Tourism Zone
- Bijrani Tourism Zone
- Sonanadi Wildlife Tourism Zone
