Forest Lodges in Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park exhibits the perfect mix of lush green forest and wildest wildlife. Ever since its establishment, this national park has been a major hub for wildlife lovers, photographers and wanderers. Every year, lots of tourists from around the world visit the park to experience real fun and adventure. Keeping this in mind, the tourism department has divided the park into five different zones i.e. Dhikala, Domunda, Sonanadi, Bijrani and Jhirna to make things easier for all wildlife travelers visiting the park.

Each zone of the park has a number of well-equipped boarding and lodging facilities and other basic amenities for the convenience and comfort of the tourists. Over the past few years, many developmental works have been carried out in the park to preserve its wildlife and also to ensure that visitors can have a wonderful time. As a result, a large number of tourists visit this park every year to spend some quality time right in the lap of the nature and to experience the thrilling wildlife adventure.

If visiting this famous national park is in your list of things to do this holiday, then collecting information about the type of accommodation available in and around Jim Corbett is a must for you. For having a wonderful experience in Corbett, you can either book a room in any hotel or resort located in the surrounding of the park as per your budget and preferences. You can also look for accommodation in a forest lodge in Jim Corbett.

To help you find the best wildlife jungle lodges which offer comfort and convenience, here is the list of forest lodges available in different zones of the park.

Forest Lodge in Dhikala Zone

Located on the edge of Patli Dun valley, Dhikala zone is the best zone for the wildlife lovers. With the Kanda peak in the backdrop and numerous channels of Ramganga River, this zone offers amazing and pictorial views of the valley. The Tourist Complex looks over at Dhikalachaur (one of the largest lush green fields of Corbett National Park) and Phulaichaur. A drive through chaurs will take you to places which are ideal for spotting tigers, chital, wild elephants, the stag of pigs, hog deer along with a wide variety of bird species and reptiles.

The five major forest lodges that fall under Dhikala forest zone are as follows:

Dhikala Forest Lodge:

Located 30 kms from Dhanghari gate in Dhikala Zone of Jim Corbett National Park, Dhikala forest lodge is the most preferred location among the accommodation seekers in Jim Corbett. It offers the most scenic views of the wildlife and natural beauty and often leaves visitors with an unforgettable experience. This lodge is run by the forest department to cater to the rising accommodation needs of the travelers visiting the Corbett.

Sarapduli Rest House:

Housed on the Dhangarhi-Dhikala road, Sarapduli forest lodge is positioned downstream from Gairal on the edge of the southern bank of River Ramganga. It a stone’s throw away from the zone where the visitors can spot lots of large mammals like Bengal tigers, elephants, etc. In addition, the lodge provides a vantage point for spotting crocodiles and birds.

Sultan Rest House:

Named after Sultan, a seasonal stream flowing through this area, the Sultan forest lodge is the oldest forest lodge of Corbett. Located inside the park, it is 10 km from Dhangari gate. While driving from Dhangarhi to Dhikala, Sultan is the first forest rest house that comes on the way. It is nestled in the dense forest area and offers good accommodation to the tourists.

Gairal Rest House:

Situated on the bank of River Ramganga close to the first entrance gate of the national park, Gairal forest lodge is easily accessible through Dhanghari-Dhikala road. It is the most preferred lodge among the visitors because of its stunning location, which allows travelers to view the exotic flora and fauna that exist in the park. Surrounded by beautiful hills, Gairal offers a peaceful ambience and wonderful opportunity to the guests to capture some memorable moments at the national park.

Khinnanauli Rest House:

Lying in the middle of Khinnanaulichaur, Khinnanauli forest lodge is one of most recently built restorative homes in Corbett and is equipped with all the basic amenities. It is a perfect accommodation option for all those who are interested in watching tigers as this lodge is well acknowledged as a tiger territory. The strategic location of the Khinnanauli lodge offers an easy get away to the different parts of the park.

How to reach?

Dhikala forest lodge is approximately 30 kms from the entrance gate i.e. Dhanghari gate. It takes guests around an hour to cover the entire distance while experiencing wildlife adventure on the way. Being located at the core area of the park, this jungle lodge is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts.

Facilities & Amenities

• Vegetarian buffet course at the on-site restaurant at Dhikala Tourist Complex
• Well designed and decorated rooms
• A small general store for buying necessary things
• A library for the academically inclined

Dhikala lodge is open for tourists from 15th November to 15th June. It is inaccessible during the monsoon season.

Forest Lodge in Bijarani Zone

With deep forest, vast grass land and exotic wild life, Bijarani is a beautiful zone of Jim Corbett National Park. It was once a popular hunting ground for the rich during the imperial rule, but now this zone offers a wonderful natural view of the flora, fauna, reptiles and mammals to the visitors. In addition to a comfy accommodation, tourists taking accommodation in the lodge can participate in morning or evening elephant safari.

Malani Rest House:

It is a forest rest house located 12 kms away from the North West of Bijarani. This comfy rest house is on the central zone of Corbett and offers breathtaking vistas. Located on the edge of the core zone of the park, guests staying in the rest house can easily spot Royal Bengal tiger, black bear, sloth bear, deer, wild cat, leopard, etc. in the park.

How to reach?

Bijarani zone can be reached through jeep from Aamdanda gate covering distance of about 5 kms. The jeep can be booked from the park’s authority office, which is located at Ramnagar Town.

Facilities & Amenities

• Standard accommodation for the guests
• Spacious and clean rooms
• All the rooms are provided with a solar lantern.
• Solar light is kept on from 6-9 pm
• Canteen home style cooked food

Forest Lodge in Jhirna Zone

Nestled on the southern periphery of Jim Corbett, Jhirna was once the man-animal conflict zone. This particular zone is known for bird watching and exploring tigers. Blessed with plenty of wildlife beauty, Jhirna zone is open throughout the year for the visitors.

Jhirna Rest House:

It is a forest rest house in the interiors of the park’s southern limit. Located on Ramnagar- Kalagarh road, Jhirna lodge lies in the east-west side of Corbett. Until 1994, this forest lodge was an agriculture village. In 1994, it came under the circumference of project tiger area. Dense growth of bamboo covers the hills in the northern side of Jhirna. One can also spot a number of exotic wildlife from this lodge.

How to reach?

Jhirna is one of the preferred tourist zones of Corbett National Park. This zone is located on the road connecting Ramnagar to Kalagarh. The entry for this zone is through Jhirna Gate. Located in the southern part of Corbett National Park, Jhirna forest lodge falls around 16 km from Ramnagar town.

Facilities & Amenities

• Comfortable stay for the guests
• Rooms with basic facilities
• Affordable and safe lodging

The forest lodges in Corbett are designed for comfort and also provide panoramic views of the park. Tourists staying in any of these lodges for even once will have worth relishing and lifetime accommodation experience.