Mukkurthi National Park is located towards the Nilgiris District of the state of Tamil Nadu. This national park is spread over an area of 78.46 km. The flora and fauna here has a great connection with the Himalayas and this is an amazing feature that is found here. The landscape here is wonderful to view. The rolling grassy downs and the natural vegetation of the southern part of India can be found here and this adds to the beauty of the national park. The national park is known to be interspersed with the sholas and the woodland. The distance from Ooty to this renowned National park is about 40 km and it has been a home to various species of animals and birds.

History

By 1868, after the arrival of the British, shoals started to get eliminated from the forests here. During 1868, the then Hill commissioner named James Breeds made a request to the government for the sake of taking appropriate measures for the sake of protecting the fauna species found here. In 1882, the then Inspector general of Forests, named Dietrich Brandis actually suggested building of the huge forest blocks for the sake of saving the forest resources. Later in 1886, the complete area of the Mukkurthi National Park was recognized to be the reserved forest. On the 3rd August 1982, this forest was declared to be the wildlife sanctuary. After a span of 8 years, on 15th October 1990, it was provided with a status of the National Park and this was for the sake of protecting the prime species of the Nilgiri Tahr.

Timings and Holidays

The park can be visited from 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM. Tuesday is a holiday here and it is open on all the days apart from Tuesday.

Fauna in Mukkurthi National Park

Apart from the Nilgiri Tahr, you can find various other animals here like Barking deer, otter, Jackal, Sambhar, Nilgiri marten, Jungle cat and a lot more. The rarest animals such as Bengal Tiger, Indian elephant, Leopard, Nilgiri langur, Small Indian Civet, Mouse Deer, Bonnet macaque, Wild dog, Shrew, Mouse Deer, Malabar Spiny Dormouse, Bonhote's Mouse, Soft-furred Rat and Black-naped Hare can also be found here. Avifauna in this national park is featured with various birds and these are mainly found towards the hilly areas. This is truly a wonderful place for the bird watchers. You can check out for the woodcock, black eagle and wild pigeon. Apart from these birds, you can also check out for Blue Admiral, Indian Cabbage white, Indian Fritillary, rainbow trouts, Hedge blues and Indian Red Admiral.

Flora in Mukkurthi National Park

Lianas are known to be common here. You can also find a lot of Epiphytes here such as bryophytes, ferns, lichens and different types of orchids. Overall, the beautiful flora here is definitely a loved thing among the nature lovers.

Trekking and Fishing experience in Mukkurthi National Park

The trekking routes exist from the Portimund, Parsan valley, Pykara etc. Due to this, it is a recommended place for the wildlife lovers. If you love fishing, then this is a wonderful spot for you. Trout fishing is something that is recommended in the lakes of rivers here. For fishing, it is required to get permission from the Assistant Director, Fisheries Department.

How to Reach

Air

The closest airport to the Mukkurthi National Park is Coimbatore and this is situated at a distance of 140 kms from here.

Rail

Ooty is known to be the closest railhead to this place and this is well-connected to many renowned places such as Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Trichy, Kanyakumari, Tanjore and Bangalore. There are different super fast and express trains that pass through Tirunelveli.

Road

The various state transport and private buses connect to Ooty from different places within the southern part of India like Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Nagapattinam, Tirupati, Salem and Erode.

Visitor Information

Commercial tours and casual tour operation is not permitted here. The tourist facilities are unavailable in the park and special interest groups are known to be sometimes permitted for supervising of the trekking, camping and educational programs. You can find forest rest houses at Avalanche, Bangitapal and Pykara. The forest guide here accompanies the visitors for trekking. The best season to visit this place is from the month of February to May.

Other Attractions

The Mukkurthi peak offers with amazing picturesque view to the tourist. The Pykara hydro electricity dam, which is popularly referred as the Mukkurthi dam is a wonderful place, wherein people can check out or the lovely view of various bird species. The lake here is the best place to spend good time. You can also get to check out various waterfalls where the tourists can just lay down and have good rest.