7 Best National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuaries near Surat

At a distance of 45 km from Bhavnagar, Blackbuck National Park is a national park located at Velavadar in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. Also known as Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, it is one of the famous places of wildlife in Gujarat, and among the must include places in Bhavnagar holiday packages.

Velavadar National Park was formerly the private hunting ground for the Maharajas of the princely state of Bhavnagar. With an area of about 18 sq. km, it was declared as a reserve forest and later notified as a National Park in 1976 CE. In 1980 the area was extended to cover about 34 Sq. km of grassland. The park has been classified as Gujarat-Rajwada biotic province of the semi-arid bio-geographical zone due to its unique ecosystem which consists of exclusive grassland habitat, shrublands, saline plains, and mudflats. The park lies between two rivers namely Parvalia and Alang, which drain into the Gulf of Cambay.

Among the major Bhavnagar tourist places, the park has been established for the protection of the blackbucks and has the highest number of blackbucks in India. More than 3, 000 blackbucks exist on the open grasslands of Velavadar. The sanctuary is also home to other animals like nilgai, jackal, wolf, jungle cat, and fox. Besides, one can also spot many bird species which include ...

At a distance of 41 km from Sanand and 69 km from Ahmedabad, Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary is a protected bird sanctuary situated at Nalsarovar village in Gujarat. Nalsarovar is one of the largest wetland bird sanctuaries in India, and among the prime attractions of Ahmedabad sightseeing packages.

The Nalsarovar Lake and the wetlands around it were declared as a bird sanctuary in 1969. Covering an area of 120.82 Sq.km, it is a serene marshland with shallow waters which contains 36 small islands. It has been identified as one of the 15 important wetlands of India by the National Committee on Wetlands for intensive conservation. Lying in an area between Central Gujarat and East Saurashtra, it represents a sea link that once existed between the Little Rann and the Gulf of Khambat. The lake gets filled with water that drains from the adjoining Surendranagar and Ahmedabad districts in the monsoon.

Mainly inhabited by migratory birds as their wintering ground, Nalsarovar wetland is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. Besides being one of the largest bird sanctuaries, Nalsarovar harbors one of the highest populations of waterfowl anywhere in India. One can find rosy pelicans, lesser and greater flamingos, crakes, brahminy ducks, purple moorhen, herons, white storks, various species of bitterns, grebes, etc. in the lake.

The best ...

Distance from Surat: 312 Kms

At a distance of 50 km from Surendranagar, 100 km from Ahmedabad, 238 km from Bhuj, and 320 km from Great Rann of Kutch, the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary is a protected sanctuary located in the Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Also known as the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, it is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, and among the best places to visit near Ahmedabad for wildlife enthusiasts.

Spread over an area of 4954 sq. km, the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary was established in 1972 and came under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The Wild Ass Sanctuary of the Little Rann of Kutch is the only place on earth where the endangered Indian Wild Ass, known locally as the ghudkhar, still lives. One of the three surviving species of the Wild Ass in the world-the other two being found in Central Asia and in and around Tibet, the Khur is high on the list of endangered species. Known for its speed, the wild ass lives in herds led by stallions and survived by migrating between the grassy 'bets' through the season, in search of food. There are around 3000 wild asses in the sanctuary and can be best seen in and around October and November.

Apart from wild ass, the sanctuary is also home to 32 other species of mammals such as chinkara, two types of desert fox, jackals, caracals, nilgais, Indian wolves, blackbucks, and striped hyenas along with 350 different species of ...

Distance from Surat: 396 Kms

At a distance of 42 km from Rajkot Junction, the Rampara Wildlife Sanctuary is a dense woodland situated near Khijadiya village near Rajkot, Gujarat. It is one of the major places of wildlife in Gujarat, and among the best places to visit as part of Rajkot packages. It has been selected as an alternate place for the Asiatic lion breeding center in Gujarat.

A former shooting reserve owned by the erstwhile princely state of Wankaner, Rampara was acquired by the government in 1975, declared as a reserve forest in 1983, and notified as a Sanctuary in 1988 to protect the natural vegetation and the wildlife of the area. Covers over an area of around 15 sq. km, the sanctuary is located near the river of Machchhu, which is drained by two streams named Pat a gala vonklo and Vaghrigalo vonklo.

Among the best wildlife sanctuaries near Rajkot, the sanctuary has plain terrain in the middle with hillocks at the periphery and undulating terrain in between. The shrubby land spread with patches of grasses harbors a large number of species of plants, birds, and mammals. The Rampara Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajkot is renowned for housing an entire troop of mammoth antelopes, regarded as the Indian Blue Bulls, popularly addressed by the name 'Nilgai'. Other animals like wolf, jackal, hyena, common fox, and ...

Distance from Surat: 449 Kms

At a distance of 70 km from Vadodara, Jambughoda is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Panchmahal district of Central Gujarat. Situated near Jambughoda, it is one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Gujarat, and among the top places to visit as part of Vadodara tour packages.

Jambughoda Sanctuary was a part of the princely state of Jambughoda before independence. The sanctuary was established in 1990 at the behest of the late Prime Minister of India, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. Sprawling over an area of 130 sq. km, Jambughoda is a magnificent forest of teak, bamboos, and other miscellaneous species. The area has two water reservoirs- one at Kada and the other at Targol. The most striking feature of the area is the undulating hills having a good forest cover, with the valleys having small tribal hamlets.

Among the prominent wildife sanctuaries near Ahmedabad, the sanctuary harbors several wild animals, birds, and flora, including plants and herbs of medicinal value. Leopard is the top predator here whose population has been increasing. The habitat is shared by other animals such as sloth bear, jackal, blue bull, wild boar, and four-horned antelopes. In addition, the sanctuary is also home to a wide variety of snakes including cobra, rat snake, Russell's viper, and python, and interesting ...

Distance from Surat: 194 Kms

At a distance of 42 km from Waghai and 68 km from Saputara Bus Station, Purna Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats between the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, India. It is one of the most popular hotspots for bird watchers and among the best places to visit near Saputara.

Situated in the predominantly tribal district of Dangs, Purna Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a sanctuary in July 1990 which spread over an area of 160 Sq. km. The sanctuary derives its name from the Purna River, which flows through it. Managed by the North Dangs Forest Division, Purna is one of the last remaining patches of moist deciduous forest in Gujarat which supports huge range of flora and fauna. Purna, along with Vansda National Park, is the only Protected Area in South Gujarat for conserving diverse biological resources.

Known for its thick forest cover, Purna receives the highest average rainfall in the state. The landscape is completely lush green along with thick forests, interspersed with rivers and small tribal villages leaving visitors absolutely enchanted. There are about 700 species of plants and trees in Purna Wildlife Sanctuary. Leopard is the top predator here whose population has been increasing. Wild bulls, elephants, rhesus macaque, bonnet macaque, common mongoose, Indian civet cat, Indian porcupine, four-horned antelope, barking deer, sambar, chital, hyena, and jungle cat are among the other prominent animals found in the forest. The forest ...

Distance from Surat: 117 Kms

At a distance of 3 km from Waghai and 52 km from Saputara Bus Station, Vansda National Park is a protected area located near Waghai in the Navsari district of Gujarat. Situated on the Vansda-Waghai State Highway, Vansda is one of the major places of wildlife in Gujarat, and among the popular places to visit as part of Saputara sightseeing tour.

Spread over an area of 24 sq. km, the area was established as a National park in the year of 1979. The park got its name as Vansda because it was once privately owned by the Maharaja of Vansda. As per the official records, not a single tree has been cut since 1952. Owing to this, in some places, the canopies are so thick that sunlight does not pass through. Maintained by the South Dangs Forest Division, the landscape of the park is breathtaking with beautiful rolling hills, sweeping valleys and the beautiful river Ambika flows through the northeastern boundary of the park. The park also has a fairly large number of tribes living in and around such as the Bhil, Gamit, Warli, Kokni, Kunbi, and Dangi tribes.

Nestled in the Western Ghats of the Sahyadri range, it has a unique flavor of flora and fauna population. The vegetation includes 440 species of plants out of which the most prominent ones are the moist and dry deciduous forest cover, bamboos, tall teak trees, orchids, mango groves, and gigantic creepers. This national park ...

Distance from Surat: 108 Kms