Eravikulam National Park
Eravikulam national park is spread over an extensive area of 97 sq km along the crest of Western Ghats in the high ranges of Idukki district. Located 15 km from Munnar, it is one of most important tourist destinations in Kerala. The national park is managed by the Kerala Department of Forest and Wildlife, Munnar.
Most of the areas of the national park are consistent hill plateau. So, you can see only high rolling slopes here. The highest peak is Anamudi (2690m). The forests you see here are commonly known as ‘shoals’ – evergreen tropical and sub tropical moist broadleaf forest. You can locate small streams here, which later merge to form tributaries to Periyar and Chalakudy rivers. Lakkom waterfalls are located in this region.
In 1975 Eravikulam was declared as a wildlife sanctuary and then in 1978 it was given the status of a National park. The main motive behind this was to protect the rare Nilgiri Tahr and Hemitragus Hylocrious, which are common here. But now the park is home to numerous protected species of flora and fauna.
The national park is divided into three areas - the core area, the buffer area and the tourism area. In which, the Rajamalai is known to be the tourism area of the park. Here, the tourists are allowed to travel deep into the forest to explore the hidden beauty of the environment around. Private vehicles are not allowed inside. Only few mini buses are operated inside in order to control the environment pollution. The trips are organized by the forest department.
The park has a rare collection of varieties of trees and shrubs. You can find here climax grasslands. The sight of variety of orchids is one of the specialties of this park. Apart from Nilgiri Tahr, one can find around 26 different species of mammals at this park. A number of elephants, langur and marten can be found here. About 120 species of birds like black and ornage flycatcher, Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri wood pigeon, white bellied shortwing and Kerala laughing thrush can be spotted at Eravikulam National Park.
Entry fee for Indians: Rs. 15/head
Entry fee for Foreigners: Rs. 200/head
Entry fee for children below 12 years and for Bonafied students: Rs. 5/head