India currently has 106 existing national parks, encompassing 44,402.95 square km of territory in the country, which accounts for just 1.35% of India's total area. The size of these parks varies widely, ranging from the largest, the Hemis National Park, occupying 4,400 square km, to the South Button Island National Park in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, covering only 5 square km. The article below lists seven of India's largest national parks instead of ten due to confusion regarding the data available online. As can be seen, some of the largest national parks are located in the least populated areas of the country, like the cold deserts of Ladakh and the hot desert of Thar. In such areas, creating large, inviolate spaces for wildlife becomes easier due to lower interference by human populations.
1. Hemis National Park, Ladakh - 4,400 square km
The stunning landscape of the Hemis National Park in Leh, Ladakh. Image credit: Paras31194 via Wikimedia Commons.
Home to the world's highest density of snow leopards, the Hemis National Park in the Leh District of Ladakh is a spectacle to behold. This high-altitude protected area, ranging in elevation from 3,000 to 6,000 m, features stunning snow-clad mountains of the Zazkar Ranage in the Trans-Himalayan mountain region. It is not just the elusive snow leopards who call this park home, but visitors to Hemis also get a chance to view other rare and threatened wildlife like the Tibetan wolf, Eurasian brown bear, Tibetan argali, Asiatic ibex, Himalayan griffon vulture, and more. The lofty peaks, deep valleys, fast-flowing rivers, and rugged, rocky slopes contribute to the park's breathtaking scenery. The place also offers visitors a glimpse into the rich Buddhist culture of the region with monasteries like the famous 17th-century Hemis Monastery located here.
2. Desert National Park, Rajasthan - 3,612 square km
Chinkaras in the Desert National Park of Rajasthan. Image credit: Santanu Sen via Flickr.com.
From the cold desert to the hot one - the Desert National Park, India's second biggest national park, spans across the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan. Around 44% of this park is carpeted by sand dunes, with the rest being covered by shallow salt lakes and rocky ground. Despite the harshness of the terrain and hot climate, life has found a way to flourish here. The critically endangered great Indian bustard is the biggest attraction for wildlife lovers in the Desert National Park. It is one of the last refuges of this bird that numbers only around a hundred individuals globally. In addition, chinkara, desert fox, desert cat, a wide variety of residents and migratory birds, and reptiles like a saw-scaled viper, spiny-tailed lizards, etc., also live here.
3. Gangotri National Park, Uttarakhand - 2,390 square km
Himalayan musk deer in Gangotri National Park. Image credit: Surajit Das via Wikimedia Commons
Breathtaking vistas make this park alluring to nature lovers. It is also where the Ganga River traces its origins at Gaumukh in the Gangotri glacier. Brimming with natural splendour and spirituality, the Gangotri National Park is definitely a must-visit for all who seek beauty and peace. With the elevation varying from 1,800 to 7,083 m, the plant and animal life diversity is also incredible. High mountain peaks, deep gorges, narrow valleys, rugged glaciers, mind-boggling cliffs, gorgeous waterfalls, spectacular lakes, and lively rivers all characterise the dramatic landscape of the park. Among the many species living in the Gangotri National Park, some of the most iconic include snow leopards, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan brown bear, Asian black bear, Himalayan monal, and others.
4. Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh - 1,985 square km
Gorgeous scenery at Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh. Image credit: Rohit Naniwadekar via Wikimedia Commons.
Part of the biodiversity hotspot of the Eastern Himalayas and a tiger reserve, this national park is teeming with life. It houses the world's northernmost lowland evergreen rainforests that harbours rich flora and faunal diversity. Here, you can find tigers, leopards, snow leopards, and clouded leopards all in the same park because the elevation range of the Namdapha National Park varies from 200 to 4,571 m! The park is also known for the many species of primates like hoolock gibbons, capped langur, Assamese macaque, stump-tailed macaque, and others. Endemism is high in the forests here, and it is a delightful place for bird and butterfly lovers. Over 400 species of birds, including five hornbill species, can be seen here. Visitors definitely have a lot to look forward to on their trip to this exotic, offbeat national park of India.
5. Khangchendzonga National Park - 1,784 square km
A crimson sunbird at the Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim. Image credit: Dibyendu Ash via Wikimedia Commons.
Covering nearly 25% of Sikkim, this national park is named after Mount Khangchendzonga, the world's third-highest peak at 8,586 m that straddles the border between India and Nepal at the park's northernmost limits. The national park shows great altitudinal variation, featuring an incredible vertical sweep of 7 km, from 1,220m to 8,586m. Over 550 species of birds have been recorded here, including the blood pheasant, satyr tragopan, Himalayan griffon vulture, Tibetan snowcock, Himalayan monal, and others live in the Khangchendzonga National Park. Snow leopards are the apex predators here, living alongside other mammals like Himalayan pika, mountain goral, red panda, Tibetan wolf, Himalayan tahr, and more.
6. Guru Ghasidas National Park, Chhattisgarh - 1,440 square km
Black-hooded oriole in the Guru Ghasidas National Park, Chhattisgarh.
The Guru Ghasidas National Park was formerly part of the Sanjay National Park of Madhya Pradesh before the separate state of Chhattisgarh was formed, and the area of the park in the new state was renamed Guru Ghasidas after a famous saint from the region. Today, this national park houses tigers, leopards, spotted deer, sambar deer, wild boars, many species of birds, and more.
7. Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal - 1,330 square km
A gorgeous tiger in the Sundarbans National Park. Image credit: Soumyajit Nandy via Wikimedia Commons.
Home to the famed mangrove tigers, the Sundarbans National Park is a unique ecosystem of mangrove forests on islands along the Bay of Bengal. The tigers of the Sundarbans have inspired many legends and folklore of the past and articles, stories, and films in the present day. They are known to prey on humans! The Sundarbans National Park also has a unique landscape with a thick cover of mangroves dotting the shores, and the park can be explored only by the water route. Besides the tigers, the park is home to saltwater crocodiles, a large variety of birdlife, reptilians like the king cobra, and much more. The park was inscribed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is today visited by tourists from all over the world.
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