While you are exploring Mumbai what comes to your mind is the happening city life. But do you know there is a huge national park located just within the premises of the city. Also this national park is the only national park in the world that is present within the city premises? The national park that I am talking about is the Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai. And if you are wondering Sanjay Gandhi National Park in which state then the state is Maharashtra. This is a must visit location in Mumbai and in this article I will mention all Sanjay Gandhi National Park information that you might need. So keep on reading this article and plan a trip to this national park as soon as you can.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai
Sanjay Gandhi National Park location: Borivali East, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Sanjay Gandhi National Park timings: The Park is open from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm on all days from Tuesday to Sunday. Monday is closed. Also the park is open for morning walkers from 5:30 am to 7:30 am from Tuesday to Sunday.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park tickets: The Sanjay Gandhi National Park entry fees are Rs. 58 for adults and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park ticket price for children is Rs. 31.
For Mini Train the fee is Rs. 50 for adults and Rs. 19 for children. There are shuttle buses running from the entrance of the park to the caves and the charge is Rs. 60 per person. And for the camera there is an additional fee of Rs. 50.
How to reach
The most convenient way to reach this national park is by train. The Borivali Railway Station is at a walking distance away from the national park. You can also opt for local transport like taxis or auto rickshaws to reach the park. Or you can also drive through your own vehicle to reach here as well.
Overview
Spreading across 103 square kilometer this national park is one of the popular tourist destinations in Mumbai. Under the governance of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change this park marks a footfall of 2 million visitors annually. Previously the name of this park was Krishnagiri National Park in 1942. Later the name was Borivali National Park in 1974 and then the area of this park was 20.26 sq km. Later there was expansion of this park twice in 1976 and 1981. In 1996 the park was finally named as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the area of the park was extended to 103 sq kms.
This beautiful national park is a home to varied flora and fauna. Also due to the substantial green cover the temperature of this park always remains on the lower side. There are two man made lakes inside the park namely the Vihar Lake and the Tulsi Lake.
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Sanjay Gandhi National Park Animals
One of the major attractions in the Sanjay Gandhi Park is the wildlife here. Animals in Sanjay Gandhi National Park include a good number of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies.
Mammals
Amongst mammals the most common animal is the spotted deer which are mostly visible here. Also there are large leopards, striped hyenas that you can spot near the side of the Yeoor Hills in the park. Other animals are porcupines, black naped hares, and four horned antelope. However these are rare sights in the national park but are major attractions for the tourists as well. Among monkey species Rhesus Macaque, Hanuman Langur and Bonnet Macaque are common here. Along with that the park houses almost 17 different species of bats as well.
Birds
For bird watchers this national park is like a treasure trove for the huge variety here. The Gaumukh Trail in the park especially provides a unique experience for bird watching. You can find a good number of woodpeckers and kingfishers here along with other birds. Also there are Brown Headed Barbet, Parakeets, Paradise Flycatcher, Trogon, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Spotted Babbler, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher etc.
Reptiles
In the category of reptiles, a huge number of crocodiles are present in the park. The Tulsi Lake of the national park is the area that houses the crocodiles. Along with that there are snakes here which are also present in huge numbers. From Cobras to Pythons, Russel Viper, Bamboo Pit Viper, Ceylonese Cat Snake you can find it all here.
Butterflies
This park is also popular for housing a total of 170 butterfly species which is huge. Some of the common variants are Blue Oak Leaf, Blue Mormon, Jezbels, Yellow and White Orange Tips, Monarchs, Sailors etc.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park Safari
The Tiger and the Lion Safari in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park are undoubtedly one of the major attractions for the visitors here. These safaris are available from 9 am in the morning to 4:30 pm. However they do have a lunch break from 12 pm to 1:30 pm. Each Safari is of 30 minutes duration and there is a minimum requirement for the safari of 15 people for the ride to start. You can opt to get the tickets for the safari from the official website of the park as well. But keep in mind that the tickets are non refundable as well as non transferable. If you are getting the tickets online they will verify the tickets at the ticket counter once you reach there.
Ticket price for Tiger Safari in Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai
The ticket price for Tiger Safari is Rs. 70 for adults and for children from 5 years to 12 years of age it is Rs. 28. However for a Combined Tiger and Lion Safari the ticket price is Rs. 81 for adults. And for children from 5 years to 12 years of age the ticket price is Rs. 32.
Kanheri Caves Sanjay Gandhi National Park
The Kanheri Caves are located inside the premise of this national park and these caves are also one of the important heritage sites under the list of Archeological Survey of India. Dating back to 1st century BCE these caves are more than 2400 years old. The name of the caves came from Krishnagiri that literally translates to Black Mountain. Due to the volcanic basalt salt the mountain base is black in colour. In total the Kanheri Caves are a cluster of 109 caves. Majority of these caves here represent the Buddhist Viharas. The visitors can travel from Sanjay Gandhi National Park to Kanheri Caves through the rock cut stairs. It is also one of the popular trails in this national park.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park Trails
The location of the national park is an advantageous location because of its higher altitude. And therefore there are quite some good trekking trails here which the visitors love exploring.
Kanheri Upper Trail
This is the most popular trail in this park and especially for Sunday walkers. It starts from the entrance of the national park and goes up to the Kanheri Caves. The trekking level is not very easy and requires effort, however the beautiful view is worth some effort. Most of the trail passes amidst the rocky edges of the mountains. And the view from the top is enough to relieve you from all the hard work.
Highest Point Trail via Ashok Van
This is yet another common trail passing through the Ashok Van. With rocky hills, streams and a forest lined with huge Ashoka trees this is one of the most interesting trails too. And as the name suggests already this trail will lead you to the highest point of Mumbai as well. The all encompassing panoramic view from the top is breathtaking to watch. Also you will get to see three lakes from here namely the Tulsi Lake, Vihar Lake and the Powai lake.
Gaumukh Trail
Also popular as the Bamboo Hut Trail this is yet another popular trail here that ends at 1000 feet height. This point is located on the top of the Kanheri Caves and the end point is the Gaumukh Point.
There are some other trails as well like the Malad Trail, Shilonda Trail, Nagla Block Trail, Yeoor Trail etc. You can book these nature trails through the Nature Information Centre in advance one or two days before. The charge ranges from Rs. 75 to Rs. 300 and there is an additional charge for the guide as well. If you wish to hire a naturalist then the charges would be between Rs. 400 to Rs. 1000. Other than these nature trails you can also enjoy overnight camping, birding excursion or butterfly walks here.
Things to do in Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Cycling
Sanjay Gandhi National Park Cycling is one of the most popular tourist activities. The huge area of the park is appropriate for a cycle ride. You can either take your own cycle here or else you can hire it too. If you are renting a cycle the charge is Rs. 60 for 2 hours. Also there is a deposit fee of Rs. 300 along with ID proofs. Keep in mind that there are a limited number of cycles here so you might have to wait till your turn.
Boating
This is again a very popular activity here that the tourists enjoy. The timings for boating in this park is from 9 am to 1:30 pm. For a 2 seater boat the charge is Rs. 48 and for a 4 seater boat the charge is Rs. 97. The time duration for each boat ride is for 15 minutes.
Toy Train
The Toy Train in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a popular attraction especially among children. Popular as Vanrani, this is a narrow gauge train that operates from 9 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The charge of the toy train is Rs. 50 per person for adults and for children it is Rs. 19. However there is a minimum requirement of 20 people for the train to start.
Wrapping Up!
Now that you have all the information about Sanjay Gandhi National Park Borivali, plan a trip to this location as soon as you can. Let me know if this article is helpful for you in planning a trip to this beautiful location in Mumbai.
