Satpura Tiger Reserve
Madhya Pradesh
After you get on a ferry on the Tawa dam, your gateway to this park, you will encounter rugged hills and steep mountains with sandstone peaks, narrow water filled gorges, deep ravines, dense sal and teak forests, as well as quiet coves and bays on which crocodiles bask and spotted deer drink. This is real explorers’ country. With real vision, Satpura is set up differently to most other Tiger Reserves in India, allowing you a far more immersive nature experience within its bounds including nature walks, trekking (and even overnight camping), canoeing and elephant back safaris that do more than ferry you back and forth on a ‘tiger show’. In fact it’s deliberately not set up to show you tigers, even though its population is doing better than ever. This is for the keen nature lover who appreciates quality guiding and off the beaten track access to all of nature - big and small. Satpura is part of India’s Central Highlands, getting its name from the Satpura hill ...ranges and it’s within striking distance of the plateau on which the old English Raj town of Pachmarhi, the summer capital of the Central Provinces till 1947 is built. These cool Highlands were being rapidly deforested of precious teak in the 1860s, and support was raised to declare the area a ‘reserve’, indeed the first in the world to be formally declared a Protected Area. Along with the adjoining Bori and Pachmarhi Sanctuaries, the Satpura Tiger Reserve is a 1,427 square kilometre area of unique Central Indian Highland ecosystem. Satpura has only one tourism zone where only twelve vehicles are allowed in the morning and evening.Destination Information
How To Book
Safaris can be booked through your lodge or tour operators.
Park Timings
The Park is open for visitors for c.4.5 hours after sunrise and c.2.5 hours in the afternoon before sunset. Please check park opening times with the gate as they vary slightly between summer and winter months depending on sunrise and sunset. Madhai and Churna entry points are closed from 16th June to 30th September. Pachmarhi is open all year. Wednesday afternoon the park is closed.
Getting Around the Park
You can hire a jeep or go on a walking trail inside the core area, but in both cases you need to be accompanied by a registered forest guide. Elephant safaris and kayaking or canoeing are also good options to explore the buffer areas, with night safaris available too.
Entry Fees
Satpura has several activities with several components to the fees, so it is best to find out the current pricing from your tour operator or lodge depending on the activities you want to try.
By Air: Bhopal (135 km). Transport can be hired to drive to the park. By Rail / Road: The nearest town is Hoshangabad and the nearest railhead is Piparia (55 km). Transport can be hired to drive to the park.
Eco-friendly properties in the area

Reni Pani Jungle Lodge
Reni Pani Jungle Lodge is a cleverly designed conservation and wildlife lodge run by a family who are seasoned Bhopali hoteliers. This beautiful lodge is located in pristine forest close to Satpura National Park.

Cheetal Resort
Situated along the large backwaters of the Denwa river that forms the boundary of the Satpura Tiger Reserve, Cheetal Resort offers panoramic views of the hill ranges’ sprawling meadows, dense forests, rich wildlife and historic heritage

Forsyth Lodge
Forsyth Lodge’s founders pioneered Satpura’s rise to prominence, helping to catalyse its more innovative approach to nature tourism. This stylish lodge set in a once barren tract of 44 acres of farmland is now a restored forest with grassy meadows, alive again with birds and wildlife, reflecting their original passion.

Denwa Backwater Escape, Pugdundee Safaris
Denwa Backwater Escape is the latest enterprise in an expanding portfolio of Pugdundee’s stylish lodges and overlooks the mesmerising backwaters of a dam built on Denwa River.
Other Destinations To Combine

Bori Wildlife Sanctuary
Madhya Pradesh
Established by Captain James Forsyth on his exploration of the Central Indian Highlands, The

Pench Tiger Reserve
Madhya Pradesh
Since 1992 Pench has been included under the umbrella of Project Tiger as the 19th Project

Kanha Tiger Reserve
Madhya Pradesh
Kanha is considered by some as the India’s greatest park, an excellent habitat for many mammals
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