Jim Corbett National Park seasonal visit-timing guide for Uttarakhand conditions

India's pioneering national park and flagship tiger reserve in the Himalayan foothills

Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park stands as a landmark of Indian conservation history and ecological importance. Established as Hailey National Park in 1936, it became the first national park in Asia and was subsequently renamed Corbett National Park in honour of Jim Corbett, the British hunter and naturalist who played a pivotal role in its creation. The park is situated in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, occupying the Patli Dun valley formed by the Ramganga river between the Lesser Himalaya and the Siwalik Hills. The reserve encompasses approximately 1,288 square kilometres, including a core zone of 822 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 466 square kilometres. The landscape is characterised by ridges, ravines, minor streams, and plateaus with varying aspects and slopes. The park's moist deciduous forests are dominated by sal trees, which cover nearly three-quarters of the area, interspersed with grasslands that comprise about 10 percent of the total terrain. The Ramganga river and its reservoir create additional aquatic habitat, supporting rich biodiversity. As India's first Project Tiger reserve launched in 1974, Corbett has served as a model for tiger conservation across the country, with the park's tiger population of approximately 260 individuals representing one of the most viable and visible tiger populations in India.