Kalesar National Park
Haryana's only sal forest with leopards on the Yamuna edge
Best time to visit Kalesar National Park
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to March
- Shoulder: April and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: May to September
Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryMarchNovemberDecember
Kalesar National Park season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nov-Feb is the season: 5-22 C, sal in leaf, and the Shivalik corridor elephants occasionally crossing the Yamuna.
Summer March to May Prime time
March still works for sightings at waterholes, but by May the Shivalik foothills sit at 42 C and dust.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
June is 42 C of pre-monsoon dust and the park then shuts July to September, so there is simply no way in.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Gates reopen in October to a green, tick-heavy forest; by November the undergrowth thins and sighting improves.
What Kalesar National Park is actually like
Almost nobody here: forest rest house beds, a chowkidar cooking dal, and Haryana Tourism huts at Kalesar
Getting to Kalesar National Park
Yamunanagar rail 55 km then bus; short morning and evening gate slots, rest house via Haryana Forest Dept
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 464 m
- State
- Haryana
- Coordinates
- 30.3814, 77.5384
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Kalesar National Park?
November to March is peak season in Kalesar National Park. April and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid May to September. Gates reopen in October to a green, tick-heavy forest; by November the undergrowth thins and sighting improves.
How many days do you need in Kalesar National Park?
2 days is the usual stay. Almost nobody here: forest rest house beds, a chowkidar cooking dal, and Haryana Tourism huts at Kalesar.
How do you get to Kalesar National Park?
Yamunanagar rail 55 km then bus; short morning and evening gate slots, rest house via Haryana Forest Dept. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Kalesar National Park expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Renuka Lake (Renuka Ji)
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal's largest natural lake, ringed by a leafy parikrama
30 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly under an hour by road
-
Chakrata
Uttarakhand
Restricted cantonment near Delhi, untouched forest and falls
70 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Mussoorie
Uttarakhand
Colonial 'Queen of the Hills', Delhi's easiest escape
80 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Churdhar (via Nohradhar)
Himachal Pradesh
Sirmaur's 3,647 m Shiva summit above a sea of foothills
80 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Morni Hills
Haryana
Chandigarh's nearest hills, low-key and quiet
80 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Nag Tibba
Uttarakhand
Weekend snow summit at 3020 m above Pantwari village
90 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Chail
Himachal Pradesh
Deodar hill station with the world's highest cricket ground
110 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Kanatal
Uttarakhand
Deodar ridge of apple orchards and campfires above the Tehri valley
110 km from Kalesar National Park, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Haryana
- Kurukshetra Haryana
- Mangar Bani Haryana
- Morni Hills Haryana
- Pinjore (Yadavindra Gardens) Haryana
- Rakhigarhi Haryana
- Sultanpur National Park (Bird Sanctuary) Haryana
- Surajkund Haryana