Rajaji National Park

Named after Freedom fighter, C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) and last Governor-General of independent India. The national park was established in the year 1983 and is spread over 820.42 sq km. Three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal along with three wildlife sanctuaries in the area namely, Chilla, Motichur and Rajaji sanctuaries were merged into one in 1983.

The forest ecosystems of the Rajaji National Park are quite varied and diverse. A general survey of the forests reveals some important types of plant associations. The tropical forest ecosystems of the park have many unique characteristics, which have both scientific as well as practical significance for development.

Inhabiting the dense green jungles that form the park is an impressive array of creatures - 23 species of mammals - including tigers, leopards, elephants, deer, jungle cat, wild boar and sloth bear - and 315 species of birds are found in Rajaji. The most prominent avian species include pea fowl, woodpeckers, pheasants, kingfishers and barbets, supplemented by a number of migratory species during the winter months. Besides that, the rivers which flow through the park harbour fish such as trout and mahseer. The park has the largest population of Elephants in Uttarakhand. It also has a good number of Tigers and Leopards.
The park is open from 15th November to 15th June.