The national parks of Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai are contiguous and share very similar characteristics. A fourth national park, Wynad, also adjoins them. Together they form the largest protected area for the Indian Elephant, Gaur, Tiger and Leopard in South India. Other large mallams include Liontail Macaque, Wild Boar and Sambar. The parks occupy a NW-SE alignment, with Nagarhole national park at the top, Bandipur in the middle and Mudumalai at the bottom. The forests are tropical mixed deciduous. In the northern and western parts of Nagarhole national park, which receive more rainfall, the forest are denser and taller, with hardwood trees like Rosewood, Teak and Mathi . sandalwood trees also grow here. Elsewhere in Nagarhole national park, and in Bandipur and Mudumalai national park, which lie in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats, the forests are more open with more grasslands, and the trees are stunted (hence mammal sightings are less difficult).

Season :
Open year round, the best period being October-May, especially April-May.

Access :
Fly to Bangalore and drive to Nagarhole (6 hours) or Bandipur (6-7 hours). The nearest station railway station is Mysore. For Mudumalai National Park the nearest airport is Coimbatore (160 km) and the nearest railway station Ooty or Udhagamandalam (64 km).

Indian National Park Bandipur National Park Dampa Tiger Reserve Gorumara National Park Kaziranga National Park Melghat National Park Panna National Park Royal Chitwan National Park Tadoba National Park Buxa National Park Dhrangadhra Wildlife Sanctuary Great Himalayan National Park Keoladeo Ghana National Park Mudumalai National Park Pench National Park Sariska National Park Chilka National Park Dhudhwa National Park Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary Madhav National Park Nagerhole National Park Periyar National Park Sunderbans National Park