Corbett National Park
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas is the majestic Corbett National Park, the first National Park in India. The Park was established in August 8, 1936, and named after the Governor of the United Provinces, Sir Malcolm Hailey, as Hailey National Park. In 1952, the Park’s name was changed to Ramganga National Park. In 1957, the Park was renamed yet again, this time after Jim Corbett, the famed hunter-author-photographer-naturalist.



Corbett is drained by the Ramganga river, the dam at Kalagarh forming a huge lake to the west of the park. The park is essentially a large low valley. A range of hills runs through the middle of the park, roughly east to west with an elevation varying from 400 - 1,200 mtrs. The forests are moist deciduous, with Sal as the climatic climax. Chir Pine trees are to be found on the higher ridges of the hills. On the low-lying areas riverine forests, Shisham, Khair and Haldu trees, are intermixed with grasslands known locally as 'Chaurs'.

Other Wildlife Attractions
Corbett National Park has more than 50 species of mammals, 585 species of birds and 25 species of reptiles, but the Park is known for its elephants and leopards, not its tigers. Many kinds of deer, namely chital (spotted deer), sambar (Indian stag), chinkara (Indian gazelle), pada (hog deer) and muntjac (barking deer) abound in the Park.



Best Time to Visit
The best visiting season of Corbett is from November 15 to June 15. Corbett remains closed between June 16 and November 14, when the monsoons flood the river beds and cut the fragile road links.

How To Reach
Corbett National Park lies some 300 km to the northeast of Delhi.