Kanger Ghati National Park (also called Kanger Valley National Park) was declared a national park in 1982 by the Government of India. This park is near Jagdalpur, in the Bastar region. This park is one of the most beautiful and densest national parks, well known for its biodiversity with picturesque landscape, magnificent waterfalls, very famous subterranean geomorphologic limestone caves, and home for the Bastar hill myna, the state bird of Chhattisgarh.
Located amidst 34-km-long scenic Kanger Valley is a biosphere reserve, spread over an area of approximately 200 square kilometres (77 sq mi) consisting mainly of hilly terrain, the park derives its name from the Kanger River, which flows throughout its length. Kanger River is a lifeline and hills are its recharging reservoir; the whole national park is the catchment of Godavari River.
Flora and Fauna
According to the survey done by the Botanical Survey of India and other research organizations, the national park has 553 floral species out of which 12 species are new to Chhattisgarh; 43 species are reported rare. Floral diversity includes in situ gene bank of medicinal plants, grasses, climbers, wild sugarcane, canes, ferns, epiphytes, Sal, teak, bamboo and their rich associates.
Major wildlife of the Kanger Valley National Park are tigers, leopards, mouse deer, wild cat, chital, sambar, barking deer, jackals, langurs, rhesus macaque, sloth bear, flying squirrel, wild boar, striped hyena, rabbits, pythons, cobra, crocodiles, monitor lizards and snakes.
The avian fauna at the park includes hill myna, spotted owlet, red jungle fowl, racket-tailed drongos, peacocks, parrots, steppe eagles, red spurfowl, phakta, bhura teeter, tree pie and heron among many others.
Nearby Places to Visit
As approaches to most of the places do not have proper signages guiding movements and it being largely a virgin area, one should visit these places with assistance and under guidance of the local inhabitants.
The routes prescribed for tourism in the national park as follows:
Kotamsar Barrier to Kotamsar Caves (5 km)
Kotamsar Barrier to Kanger Dhara (7 km)
Tirathgarh barrier to Tirathgarh waterfalls (7 km)
Netanar barrier to Kailash cave (5 km))
Nature trail from Kailash cave to Kailash Lake (1.5 km)
Best season to visit
The best season to visit the Kanger Valley is November–June.
How to reach Kanger Ghati National Park
By Road : Entry into the national park is permitted form Netanar and Kotamsar barriers. Netanar barrier is situated at 33 km from Jagdalpur on the road passing through village Sargipal, Bodal, Murma, and Netanar. The park starts after 3 km from the Netanar barrier. Main entry of the park is from Kotamsar barrier situated at 27 km from Jagdalpur on the Jagdalpur-Darbha road i.e. NH 221 (connecting Jagdalpur to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh). Inside the park there is good network of Murram and Kutcha roads.
By fight : Raipur (330 km) is the nearest airport and Jagdalpur (27 km) is the nearest railhead and bus stand from the Kanger Valley National Park.
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