Hazaribagh National Park

Hazaribagh National Park, also called Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary, is in Jharkhand, India. Hazaribagh town forms the base for visiting the national park. NH 33 (Hazaribagh-Barhi sector) runs through a part of the national park. The main gate of the national park at Pokharia is 21 km from Barhi and 16 km from Hazaribagh.

History
The Hazaribagh National Park was created in 1954, but when the formal listings of the national parks was made by the United Nations, it was not included in it.

Landscape
The national park is on the Chotanagpur plateau. It stretches over 184 km2 of undulating countryside, steep hills and deep drainage channels with thick tropical forests and grass meadows, at an average altitude of 615 m. There are small rivers and a number of dams have been constructed to form artificial lakes within the park.

Fauna
Sambhar, nilgai, chital and kakar can be seen at dusk and dawn, enjoying at water holes. Sloth bear might be encountered unexpectedly. It is a matter of chance that one sees a tiger or a panther. A tiger was sighted in the vicinity of the Forest Rest House was in 2006, which was reported by the caretaker when the Tiger had killed a prey.

Climate
The climate is tropical with hot summers and cold winters. Temperature during the summer months touch a high of 41 °C and a low of 19 °C. In the winter months the temperature ranges between a maximum and minimum of 19 °C and 7 °C. The monsoon months are July to mid-September.

Get in

 * By air - the nearest airport is at Ranchi, 91 km away.
 * By rail - the nearest railway station is Hazaribag, which is 10 km away, or alternately one can approach the park from the Hazaribagh Road railway station (67 km), both on the Howrah-Delhi Grand Chord line.
 * By road - Hazaribagh town is connected by road to Ranchi 91 km, Dhanbad 128 km, Gaya 130 km, Patna 235 km, Daltongunj 198 km, and Calcutta (via Asansol-Govindapur-Barhi) 434 km.
 * By bus - regular bus services connect the town with Koderma, Hazaribagh Road railway station, Patna, Gaya, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Daltongunj and other nearby places.

Fees and permits
Entry fees for a private car is ₹90 (Dec 2007). No charges are levied for guides provided with the tour operators and there is no extra fee for carrying a camera to the park.

No permit is required to enter the park. A rest house is available inside the park with canteen facility.

Get around
A trip to the park starts at 17:00 from the Divisional Forest Office, West Division, Hazaribagh and it ends at 22:00. Charges are ₹50 per head. Reservation can be made with the Divisional Forest Officer, West Division, Hazaribagh. Visitors are generally not allowed to travel in the inner core of the forest.

Mr. Kalyan Banerjee of Dilkhush Restaurant, Sadar Hospital Road or Main Road makes arrangements for tour of the sanctuary by three hours. One can also make own arrangements by hiring a car at about ₹500 and staying one night at the Park. Spot lights, available at ₹7, should be taken. Total road length inside the park is 111 km.

Firearms are not allowed inside the park.

See
Watch towers generally have been constructed above the pools of water, so that in summer visitors may sit on these towers and easily see the animals that come to drink water. Artificial saltlicks have also been made for the animals.

There is a tiger trap used by the Raja of Ramgarh to snare the animal. This spot is on the way to Rajderba, just a few kilometres ahead to the left.

Do
Loud noises and bright lights from vehicles frighten animals away. Leave the animals to themselves and just watch them from a distance.

The towers are must see in hazaribagh forest. Tower no. 5 and 6 are not so far from the rest house.But 7 and 11 are a bit far. But tower no. 7 is a must see for nature lovers during sunset. It's like an adventure to walk to tower 7.

Buy
There is nothing to buy.

Eat
There is a small canteen inside the park.

Drink
Carry whatever you want. No hard drinks are available. As a custom, it is advisable to carry an extra bottle or two of hard drink for the caretaker and the cook. You can get that extra bottle in the Hazaribag town reasonably cheap. They are away from the town and would welcome you with open arms.

Sleep
Although bed is provided but due to the neglect of the Government, the accommodation is not very well maintained but the stay would be comfortable if you carry your own stuff.

Lodging
There are also hotels at Teliya near to National Park
 * There is a Tourist Lodge with four single rooms in the national park along with a small canteen next to it.
 * There is a dormitory facing the lake inside the park. The scene is beautiful and worth a short stay in the jungle. The cost is also very cheap.
 * Hotels are available in Hazaribagh.
 * Hotels are available in Hazaribagh.

Stay safe
Do not go too near the animals.

Go next

 * Tiger Falls – a small picnic spot just around the place.
 * Padma Palace of the Raja of Ramgarh – a few miles along the road towards Barhi.
 * Tilayia Dam – 36 km