National Parks in India
Complete state-wise list, India map & every high-yield fact for SSC, State PSC, BPSC, Railway & Banking exams — updated 2026.
National Parks are among the most repeated topics in the Environment & Static GK sections of competitive exams. Questions usually test the first, largest and smallest park, the famous "which park is known for which animal" pairs, and UNESCO sites. This guide puts every one of those facts in revision-ready order.
What this guide covers
What is a National Park?
A National Park is a protected area notified by the government under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is classified under IUCN Category II and enjoys the highest level of habitat protection in India.
Inside a national park, hunting, grazing, tree-felling, private land use and industrial activity are strictly prohibited — this is what makes a park stricter than a wildlife sanctuary. As of 2026, India has around 107 national parks covering roughly 44,403 km² (about 1.35% of the country's area).
Park vs Sanctuary vs Biosphere Reserve
A classic match-the-following set. Learn the differences in one look:
| Feature | National Park | Wildlife Sanctuary | Biosphere Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | WPA, 1972 | WPA, 1972 | MoEFCC (UNESCO-MAB) |
| Boundaries | Fixed & notified | Not strictly fixed | Large; core + buffer + transition |
| Human activity | Not allowed | Limited / regulated | Allowed in buffer & transition |
| Main focus | Species + ecosystem | Specific species | Whole ecosystem + people |
Quick facts to memorise
Iconic parks & their wildlife
The "which animal → which park" link is the single most-asked pattern. Fix these seven visually:
India map of national parks
Learning parks against a map fixes them far better than a plain list. Note one flagship park per state:
State-wise important parks
| National Park | State / UT | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Corbett | Uttarakhand | Tiger (first NP) |
| Valley of Flowers / Nanda Devi | Uttarakhand | Alpine flora (UNESCO) |
| Kaziranga | Assam | One-horned rhino (UNESCO) |
| Manas | Assam | Tiger, UNESCO site |
| Gir | Gujarat | Asiatic lion |
| Blackbuck (Velavadar) | Gujarat | Blackbuck |
| Sundarbans | West Bengal | Royal Bengal tiger, mangroves |
| Kanha | Madhya Pradesh | Tiger, barasingha |
| Bandhavgarh | Madhya Pradesh | Highest tiger density |
| Ranthambore | Rajasthan | Tiger |
| Keoladeo (Bharatpur) | Rajasthan | Migratory birds (UNESCO) |
| Desert National Park | Rajasthan | Great Indian Bustard |
| Hemis | Ladakh | Snow leopard (largest NP) |
| Dachigam | Jammu & Kashmir | Hangul (Kashmir stag) |
| Great Himalayan | Himachal Pradesh | UNESCO site |
| Simlipal | Odisha | Melanistic tigers |
| Silent Valley | Kerala | Lion-tailed macaque |
| Eravikulam | Kerala | Nilgiri tahr |
| Bandipur / Nagarhole | Karnataka | Tiger, elephant |
| Keibul Lamjao | Manipur | Sangai deer (floating park) |
| Namdapha | Arunachal Pradesh | Biodiversity (largest in NE) |
| Khangchendzonga | Sikkim | UNESCO (mixed) site |
Famous "known for" pairs
| Species / feature | National Park |
|---|---|
| One-horned rhinoceros | Kaziranga (Assam) |
| Asiatic lion | Gir (Gujarat) |
| Snow leopard | Hemis (Ladakh) |
| Hangul (Kashmir stag) | Dachigam (J&K) |
| Sangai (brow-antlered deer) | Keibul Lamjao (Manipur) |
| Great Indian Bustard | Desert NP (Rajasthan) |
| Lion-tailed macaque | Silent Valley (Kerala) |
| Nilgiri tahr | Eravikulam (Kerala) |
| Migratory birds | Keoladeo (Rajasthan) |
| Mangroves + Bengal tiger | Sundarbans (West Bengal) |
UNESCO & unique parks
UNESCO Natural World Heritage sites that are national parks: Kaziranga, Manas, Keoladeo, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers, Great Himalayan National Park, and Khangchendzonga (a mixed site).
Rapid revision one-liners
- National parks are notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — IUCN Category II.
- First national park — Jim Corbett (1936), earlier Hailey NP, Uttarakhand.
- Largest — Hemis (Ladakh); Smallest — South Button Island (A&N).
- Most national parks — Madhya Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- Only floating park — Keibul Lamjao; First marine park — Gulf of Kutch.
- Project Tiger launched in 1973 from Jim Corbett.
- Total parks (2026) — about 107, covering ~1.35% of India's area.
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