Awe-Inspiringly Beautiful National Parks in South India

National parks not only protect forests and wildlife, but also enable you to rejuvenate yourself, and to bond with your friends / colleagues / family members.

Here is a list of popular national parks in South India.

Bandipur National Park

Located in Karnataka, this national park houses many species of endangered wildlife. Covering an area of 874 square kilometres, this awe-inspiringly beautiful national park is well-known for its sizable number of tigers and other animals.

Gaur in Bandipur National Park

Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park is also known as Periyar Tiger Reserve. Located in Kerala, it is the only national park in India that is open for visitors during monsoon. Spread over 350 square kilometres, this national park houses tigers, elephants, lion-tailed macaques, sambar deer, leopards, Indian bison and many other animals. 

Blue Pansy in Periyar National Park

Wikimedia Commons | Source

Nagarhole National Park

Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, this national park covers an area of 642.4 square kilometres. It is a protected habitat for many species of fauna, including tiger, leopard, wild elephant, dhole, and Gaur.

An Elephant in Nagarahole National Park

Wandur National Park

Wandur National Park is located Andaman and Nicobar islands, a string of around 300 tropical islands in the Bay of Bengal. Also known as Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, this national park covers an area of 281.5 square kilometres.

Kudremukh National Park

Tiger, leopard, wild dog, jackal, samba, spotted deer, barking deer and giant flying squirrel are among the main wildlife attractions of this national park. Located in Karnataka, this park covers an area of 600 square kilometers.

Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Established in 1976, this national park is located in Tamil Nadu. It is spread over an area of 958 square kilometers. Many species of animals, including nilgiri langur, liontailed macaque, gaur, elephant, chital, sambar, mouse deer, barking deer, birds, tiger, panther, wild dog and Nilgiri tahr have made this national park their home.

Sri Venkateshwara National Park

Located in Andhra Pradesh, this national park is home to hosts 168 mammals, 349 birds, and 138 reptiles. Spread over an area of 353 square kilometers, it was officially declared a National Park in the year of 1998.

Silent Valley National Park

This national park is in Nilgiri Hills, in Palakkad district, Kerala. The core area of Silent Valley National Park is 236.74 square kilometers. It houses more than 1000 species of flowering plants which include about 110 species of orchids, more than 34 species of mammals, about 200 species of butterflies, 400 species of moths, 128 species of beetles of which 10 are new to science, about 150 species of birds including almost all the 16 endemic birds of southern India.