The best season to visit Corbett National Park is between February and May. It is closed from mid-June to mid- November.

Jim Corbett National Park - Located in the foothills of the Himalayas is the majestic Corbett National Park. Home to a variety of flora and fauna, Jim Corbett Park is famous for its wild population of Tigers, Leopards and Elephants.

Corbett Park has a strong historical background, which can be traced from the early 1800 when its forest were private property of the rulers of the Terhi Garhwal. Around the 1820's this part of the state was parted to the British Rulers in return of the assistance provided during the Gurkha invasion. The British exploited the timber potential of these forest and mercilessly felled the forests and plant 'teak' a precious hardwood, to fulfill the supply for Railway sleepers.

In 1858 the first step towards protection of these forest was initiated by Major Ramseyin form of a comprehensive plan, where in farming and cattle intrusion were banned in the lower Patlidun valley. The Forest Department took control of the area and declared it as Reserve forest in 1879 under the forest act. Soon after the condition of these forest showed improvement and possibilities of forming a game sanctuary were proposed in the early 1900 by Michael Keen an officer with the Forest Dept. The proposal was turned down by the then Governor of The United Province John Hewett. More futile attempts were made in the 1916&1917 by E.R. Stevens and Smythies, both DFO's of the area to declare the sanctuary but were turned down.

In 1934 Governor Malcolm Hailey supported the proposal and declared the reserve forest into a sanctuary. Soon after Governor Hailey and Sir Smythies proposed the up gradation of the sanctuary to a national park. During this period Major James E Corbett was getting famous for his Man eating Tiger shoots. Corbett, who was well versed with area was consulted and helped in marking the boundaries for the proposed national park. On August 6th 1936, the UP national park act was enacted and Hailey National Park - named after Governor Hailey, came into being as India's first National Park and the worlds third covering an area of about 325 sq. kms.

Post independence the park was renamed after the Ramganga River - the main perennial lifeline of the area and was called the Ramganga National Park. James E Corbett died on 19th April 1955 in Nyeri, Kenya. In 1957 the park was again renamed, in honor of the legendary hunter turned conversationalist, author and photographer Jim Corbett who spent most his life in the area and helped in setting up the park.

The wildlife protection act was enacted in the year 1972 and Corbett National Park was one of the first national park to launch Project Tiger a government sponsored program for the conservation of the Tiger and its habitat on 1st April 1973.

In 1991 the area of the reserve was further increased with the inclusion of the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary. Today Corbett National Park stands as one of the prime examples of efforts to conserve and is one of the best protected forest in the world.

The varied topography comprises hilly and riverine areas, temporary marshy depressions, plateaus and ravines. The lower areas are almost completely populated by Sal trees. In the Jim Corbett National Park are found 110 tree species, 50 mammals species, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species.

Corbett is a haven for Tigers as well as its prey, which include four kinds of Deer, Wild Boar and some lesser-known animals. Leopards are mostly found in the hilly areas of the park. Some nocturnal cats found here are the Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat and Fishing Cat. Sloth Bear is found in the lower regions of the park while the Himalayan Black Bear is seen in the higher hills only. The Dole or Wild Dog, though they can be seen in the southern areas of the park along with the Jackal.

Some of the smaller residents of the park are Himalayan Palm Civet, Indian Gray Mongoose, Common Otter, Blacknaped Hare and Porcupine. Elephants are among one of the main attractions of Jim Corbett Park. Along the Ramganga River shores, one can spot the long-snouted, fish-eating Gharial Crocodile and the ‘Mugger’ Crocodile. Also seen on the rocky hillsides is the Ghoral or Goat Antelopes. The Langur and Rhesus Monkeys are well distributed through out the park and warning the whole Jungle with alarm calls when they see either a Tiger or Leopard from tree-top perches.

Ramnagar : Situated in the rich farm belt of Terai, on the southeastern fringes of the great forests, the busy market town of Ramnagar is the main administrative centre for Corbett National Park and Project Tiger. Ramnagar makes a fishing base camp. At Lohachaur, 15-kms north along the River Kosi, good anglers are in with a chance of landing the legendary Mahseer, a redoubtable battling River Carp. Permits to have a go must be sought from the Project Tiger office in Ramnagar; most resorts also arrange all inclusive fishing trips.

Wildlife Viewing : Chital, Sambar, and various other Deer species find refuge in the Savannah grasslands known as the Maidan, behind the campsite to the south, and Tigers are occasionally drawn in looking for prey. Two hour elephant rides, explore this sea of grass, rarely penetrating far into the deep jungles beyond; try to convince your Mahout or Elephant driver to venture in, as they can be quite magical. Come at dusk or dawn; in the heat of the day you probably won’t come across much more than deer among the tall grass. Tiger-sightings are few and far between, but you may be rewarded with fresh pug marks.

Jeep Safari in Corbett : Jeeps Safari, is the most convenient way to travel within Corbett national park, and can be rented for the park trips from Ramnagar, from the KMVN Tourist Lodge and other travel agencies . One bus each day goes to Dikhala from Ramnagar, stopping at the Forest Rest houses en route. Banking and other important tourist facilities are available at Ramnagar and Lucknow.

Phoolbagh in Pantnagar, 50-kms away from the park is the nearest airport. Delhi that lies 300-kms away from the national park is the nearest international airport.

Ramnagar is the nearest railway station from where the taxi or bus can be availed to reach the park. The tourists can also catch a train for the national park from the Moradabad railway station.

To reach Corbett National Park, one can reach Dhikala which is 300-kms from Delhi, 145-kms from Lucknow and 51-kms from Ramnagar. The tourists can also follow the route from Delhi to Hapur-Murababad-Ramnagar. The national park is easily accessible from Lucknow and Ramnagar served by frequent buses to and from various tourist places in India.