Corbett at a glance
The story of Jim Corbett National Park history is also the story of wildlife protection in India. Set in the foothills of the Himalaya in Uttarakhand, Corbett was India’s first national park and is one of the oldest in Asia. It later became one of the first reserves chosen for Project Tiger.
Today it is the heart of Corbett Tiger Reserve, a mosaic of sal forest, river valleys and open grassland where tigers, wild elephants and hundreds of bird species share the same landscape. You come for the tiger, but most visitors leave talking about the Ramganga at dawn, the mist over the chaurs and the sheer variety of life packed into a relatively small area.
If you are wondering who the park is named after, read our guide on who Jim Corbett was: the hunter-turned-conservationist whose name the park has carried since the 1950s.
Jim Corbett National Park history: a timeline
Protection here came in stages over roughly a century. The dates below are the milestones most often cited; a few (especially the renaming) appear with slightly different years in different records.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1868 | The British forest administration takes its first steps to protect these forests, mainly to control timber cutting and grazing. |
| 1879 | The area is declared a reserved forest under the forest laws of the time. |
| 1936 | Established as Hailey National Park, named after Sir Malcolm Hailey, then Governor of the United Provinces. It is India’s first national park. Jim Corbett is said to have helped shape its boundaries. |
| c. 1952–57 | After Independence it is renamed Ramganga National Park, after the river that runs through it. |
| 1956–57 | Renamed Corbett National Park in honour of Jim Corbett, who had died in Kenya in 1955. |
| 1 April 1973 | Chosen as one of the first reserves under Project Tiger, and the scheme is launched here. |
| 1991 | The Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary area is added to the tiger reserve, enlarging it to the west. |
| 1994 | Jhirna is added to the reserve on the southern side. |
| 2010s | New tourism zones open, among them Dhela, and buffer forests take more of the visitor load. |
Two moments stand out. In 1936, setting aside land purely to protect wildlife was a new idea in India, and the park was one of the earliest of its kind anywhere in Asia. In 1973, when tiger numbers across India had crashed, Corbett was picked to launch Project Tiger, the national programme that still guides tiger conservation today.
Between those dates, the Kalagarh dam was built on the Ramganga at the western end of the park. Its reservoir flooded part of the valley but also created the wetland that now draws crocodiles, fish eagles and winter waterbirds.
Key facts about Corbett
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| State | Uttarakhand, India |
| Districts | Nainital, Pauri Garhwal and Almora |
| Core (national park) | About 520 km² |
| Tiger reserve incl. buffer | About 1,288–1,318 km², depending on the source |
| Altitude | Roughly 400 m in the valleys to about 1,200 m on the ridges |
| Main river | Ramganga, with the Kosi along the eastern edge |
| Main gateway town | Ramnagar (Nainital district); Kotdwar for the western side |
| Managed by | Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand Forest Department |
For visitors the reserve is divided into safari zones. Dhikala and Bijrani are the classic core zones, Jhirna and Dhela stay open all year, and Sonanadi covers the quiet western side. Compare them all on the safari booking page.
Landscapes: ridges, valleys and chaurs
Corbett packs surprising variety into its area. Three landforms shape almost everything you will see from a jeep:
- Shiwalik ridges. The low, crumbly outer hills of the Himalaya run through the park, covered in sal on the lower slopes and chir pine higher up. Steep cliffs along the rivers are where you look for goral.
- The Patli Dun valley. A broad valley (a “dun”) that the Ramganga flows through from Marchula towards Kalagarh. Dhikala sits in this valley, which is why it holds so much wildlife.
- Chaur grasslands. Open meadows, many of them old village sites and clearings, such as the Dhikala, Phulai, Khinanauli and Bijrani chaurs. They are the best places to watch deer herds, elephants and, with luck, a tiger crossing.
Add the Ramganga reservoir at the western end, braided riverbeds and seasonal streams (sots), and you have habitat for everything from gharial to Himalayan birds.
Conservation today
Corbett is one of India’s conservation success stories. The all-India tiger estimation, run roughly every four years, has repeatedly placed Corbett among the reserves with the highest tiger densities in the country. Camera traps, foot patrols and anti-poaching camps spread across the reserve make that possible.
The pressures are real too: growing tourism around Ramnagar, highways and villages on the edge, invasive weeds in the grasslands, and conflict when tigers or elephants stray out of the forest. Buffer zones such as Sitabani and Phato spread visitors out, and wildlife corridors link Corbett with the Rajaji landscape to the west.
Behind the scenes, forest guards walk long beats every day, often in pairs and far from any road, and many of them come from the villages around the park. The reserve also manages its grasslands and waterholes so prey animals have food through the dry months.
As a visitor, you help most by staying on the track, keeping noise down, never feeding animals and choosing a registered guide.
People and culture around the park
The park sits where two Himalayan cultures meet. To the east and north live Kumaoni communities, and to the west (around Kotdwar and Sonanadi) Garhwali villages. Both speak their own Pahari languages, farm terraced fields and keep a strong tradition of local deities and temple fairs.
The Van Gujjars, a pastoral Muslim community who herd buffalo, have long moved between the Shiwalik forests and the high pastures. Some were resettled outside the core as the reserve expanded.
If your dates line up, look out for Makar Sankranti (Uttarayani) fairs in January, Holi (the park closes that day), and the Garjia Devi temple on the Kosi, which draws large crowds on festival days. Kumaoni food, such as bhatt ki churkani, aloo ke gutke and bal mithai, is worth ordering wherever a lodge offers it.
Planning your visit
Most core zones are open from mid-October or mid-November to mid-June, while Jhirna, Dhela and Sitabani usually stay open through the monsoon. Our best time to visit guide explains the seasons, and our guides to Corbett’s wildlife and birds help you decide what you want to see.
A simple plan works well for a first visit: two nights in Ramnagar or Dhikuli, one safari in Bijrani or Jhirna, a Dhikala canter or overnight stay if you can get it, and half a day at the Corbett Museum in Kaladhungi or Garjia on the Kosi. For more ideas, see places to visit near Jim Corbett.
Frequently asked questions
What was Jim Corbett National Park called earlier?
It was set up in 1936 as Hailey National Park, renamed Ramganga National Park in the early 1950s and became Corbett National Park around 1956–57.
Which is the first national park of India?
Jim Corbett National Park, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, is India’s first national park.
How big is Jim Corbett National Park?
The core national park covers about 520 km², and the whole tiger reserve including buffer is about 1,288–1,318 km².
When did Corbett become a tiger reserve?
On 1 April 1973, when it was chosen as one of the first reserves under Project Tiger.
In which district is Jim Corbett National Park?
The reserve spreads across Nainital, Pauri Garhwal and Almora districts of Uttarakhand. Ramnagar in Nainital district is the main gateway.
Which river flows through Jim Corbett National Park?
The Ramganga is the main river. The Kosi runs along the eastern edge near Ramnagar, and the Sonanadi, Mandal and Palain are tributaries.