Nestled in the foothills of the Shiwalik ranges of Himalaya, Kalesar National Park is located in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana. The national park is spread over a huge area of about 11,570 acres.

About the park
The park was conferred a national park status in December 2003. The park derives its name from the Kaleshar (Lord Shiva) temple that is situated inside the park. It shares its boundary with three Indian states – Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The famous Yamuna River forms the Eastern boundary of the park.

Wildlife
The important faunas that are found here are Sambhars, Panthers, Goral, Red Jungle fowl, Chital, Porcupine, Barking Deer, Nilgai, Rhesus Macaque and Leopard. Occasionally tigers and Indian elephants visit the park from the nearby Rajaji National Park.

Flora
Major part of the park is covered with sal trees. In fact, the park is the only forest in the state of Haryana with natural belt of sal trees. The other trees of the region include Shisham, Khair, chhal, sain, amla, sindoor and jhingan. The park also has around 6100 species of medicinal plants and 61,000 species of herbs.

Accommodation
Several rest houses and hotels for tourists are available at Tajewala, Hathini Kund and Kalesar.

Getting there
The closest railhead is at Yamunanagar which is 37 km away. The nearest airport is at Chandigarh (150 km). The tourists can hire taxis or local or HRTC operated buses to reach the Kalesar National Park. Kalesar is well connected by roadways. The National Highway NH73A passes through it. State highway connecting Ponta Sahib to Yamunanagar passes close to the park.

Tourist information
Kalesar, Yamuna Nagar, Haryana
Ideal time to visit: mid-October to March.
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