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Singalila National Park Darjeeling is not just about the hills and sunrise rather, it is also known for some of the popular wildlife conservation, natural flora- fauna and trekking destination in India. Singalila National Park is one such underrated location in Darjeeling that must be in your trekking bucket list.
Located at an altitude of 7000 ft on the Singalila Ridge, Singalila National Park is a well-known National Park among the West Bengal region. Being situated in the Himalayan valley, it is a home of much of Himalayan wildlife.
Singalila was established in 1986 as a wildlife sanctuary. Later in 1992, it was recognized as a National Park. Singalila National park is spread over an area of 78.6 sq. kilometers in the Darjeeling valley with an altitude varying between 7,900ft to about 12,000ft. The whole of Singalila range and the National Park has long been a part of the trekking route to Sandakphu and Phalut.
Red Panda at Singalila National Park | by Biswabrata Dey (CC BY- SA 4.0)
Quick Facts:
- Name: Singalila National Park
- Known For: Red Panda, Red Panda Project, Sandakphu trekking
- Area: 203.6 km²
- Altitude: about 7000 feet
- Established on: Declared as a Singalila Wildlife Sanctuary in 1986, and was declared as a national park in 1992.
- Entry time: 6 am to 7 pm All days.
- Nearest Airport: Bagdogra Airport, West Bengal
- Nearest Railway Station: Ghoom Railway Station
- Nearest Town: Manebhanjan
- Nearest City: Darjeeling
- Popular Attractions: Sandakphu (highest peak in West Bengal), Phalut (second highest peak of West Bengal), Tumling, Tonglu Kanchenjunga view from Sandakphu, Chitrey
Address & Contact info:
- GTA Tourism Information Center at Darjeeling: Deputy Director of Tourism, GTA Silver Fir Building, Bhanu Sarani, Darjeeling – 734101
- Phone: (0354) 2254879 / 2255351; Fax: (0354) 2254214
- West Bengal Tourism Information Center at Siliguri: Tourism Center M-4 Building, Pradhan Nagar, Hill Cart Road, Siliguri
- Phone: (0353) 2511974 /979, Telefax: (0353) 2517561
Geography:
This National Park is located in the Darjeeling subdivision, where it shares its northern border with Sikkim and the western border with Nepal. The park is situated in the Eastern Himalayan ranges. The two highest peaks of West Bengal, Sandakphu (3630 m) and Phalut (3600 m), are located on the ridge and with the Singalila Hill Ranges. River Rammam and River Sirikhola flow through the Park and remains a major source of water to the wildlife in this region.
The national park falls in the Indomalaya ecozone and biomes. Means the National park’s area consists of the subalpine, coniferous, broadleaf and mixed forest. The subtropical biome roughly exists in the altitude range of 1800 to 3000 m, and the temperate biome exists in the altitude range of 3000 m to 4500 m.
Flora:
As per the plant life survey over the recent years, about 2000 to 3600 m forest area of the Sangalila is rich with the thick bamboo, oak, magnolia, and rhododendron forest. Post monsoon, the forest is covered with Primula, Geranium, Saxifraga, Bistort, Senecio, Cotoneaster and a wide variety of orchids. Due to a huge contribution of Himalayan cobra lilies (Arisaema) in this forest, Sangalila National park is also called “The Mountain of Poisonous Plants”.
Rhododendron Arboreum | by Sudeepdino008 (CC BY- SA 4.0)
Fauna:
This National Park is famous for being the home and host to many wild animals and plants. During winters, the animals on the higher altitude of Himalaya, tend to move and reside in Sangalila National park because of its somewhat better climatic conditions.
Mammals:
The small mammals in this National Park include the red panda, leopard cat, barking deer, yellow-throated marten, wild boar, pangolin, and pika. While the larger animals are the Himalayan black bear, leopard, clouded leopard, serow, takin, and few tigers.
Birds:
As per the records, Singalila National park is home to more than 120 species of birds and hence it is an ideal location for Birdwatching. Some of the rare and exotic species are the scarlet minivet, kalij pheasants, blood pheasants, satyr tragopans, brown and fulvous parrotbills, Rufous-vented tit, and Old World babblers like the fire-tailed myzornis and the golden-breasted fulvetta. During winters, we can see a large number of migratory birds.
Best Time to Visit Singalila National Park:
There are two best seasons to visit the Singalila National park, one during the Spring and one after the monsoon.
The best time to visit Singalila National park is during Spring (i.e. from March until May) when the flowers like rhododendrons and orchids bloom and completely fill the Park. The next best time to visit Singalila National Park is when the monsoon is over (i.e. between October and early December) when the mountains start covering with snow and the peaks look mesmerizing.
Due to heavy rainfall during the monsoon, Singalila National park remains closed between mid- June to mid- September.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Distance between Singalila National Park and Darjeeling?Singalila National Park to Darjeeling is about 36 km long. You can reach Singalila from Darjeeling in about 1.45 hours.
Where is Singalila National Park locatedSingalila National Park is situated on the Singalila Ridge of Darjeeling district, West Bengal.
How to reach Singalila National Park from Darjeeling?There is only one route which you can use to reach Singalila National Park from Darjeeling. Darleeling > Lepcha Jagat > Mane Bhanjang > Meghma >Singalila National Park . It takes around 1.45 hrs to cover this 35km road route.
How to reach the Singalila National Park from Kolkata?Singalila national park to Darjeeling is about 630kms long via road. You can reach Singalial from Darjeeling in about 16 hours. The best option to reach the singalila national park from Kolkata is to take a flight from Kolkata to Bagdogra (1.10-hour journey) which is close to Siliguri and take a cab from Bagdogra or Siliguri to Singalila National park (3.5 hours journey).
What is Singalila National Park is famous for?Singalila National Park is famous for Red pandas, one of the endangered species in the world. Red Pandas are commonly found in Singalila National Park.
What is Red Panda Project Singalila?Red Panda Project is a prestigious project at Singalila National Park, which is intended for protecting Red pandas in Singalila National Park.
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