Sonanadi Forest Rest House

Overview: About Sonanadi Forest Rest House

Sonanadi ecotourism zone is situated in the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary which is an extended part of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Sonanadi is blessed with the amazing beauty of flora and fauna which is situated in the north of the Sonanadi river.

You can admire the raw and unadulterated wildlife of Sonanadi Sanctuary by staying at Sonanadi Forest Rest House.
Sonanadi Forest Rest House has three FRHs with a total of 6 Double Bed Rooms.

This zone is the favourite place for Asiatic Elephant along with the Royal Bengal Tiger, cheetal (axis-axis), sambhar, leopard and reptiles.

This is the only zone in Jim Corbett National Park where you are allowed to walk on foot.

This zone also has a high population of venomous snakes and many carnivore wild animals so one needs to be cautious and should hire a professional guide while walking inside the zone.

Sonanadi zone covers 301.18 sqm which covers mainly the prime forests of the Shiwalik Terai province. It was a part of the Kalagarh Forest Division before becoming a sanctuary in 1991 under the Project of Tiger.

Sonanadi consists of dense sal and rich bamboo clusters in its forest areas and it is quite diverse in terms of wildlife.

Sonanadi sanctuary consists of the Sonanadi range which is a part of Jim Corbett National Park.

Accommodation in Sonanadi Forest Rest House

The FRHs available at Sonanadi are listed as follows:-

1. Halduparao FRH It has 2 double bedrooms available with all the basic amenities.
2. Mudiapani FRH It has 2 double bedrooms available with all the basic amenities.
3. Rathuwadhab FRH It has 2 double bedrooms available with all the basic amenities.

There are all basic amenities(electricity by Solar panels and water etc) available in these FRHs but if you are looking for a luxury break then you will be disappointed and it would be better if you book your stay outside of National Park in a luxury Resort.

Also, there is no good reception of any cellular networks inside the National Park and you will not be provided with any Wi-fi facility. Please keep these things in mind while visiting the National Park(especially while having a night’s stay).

Food & Other Services: Sonanadi Forest Rest House

In this zone FRH’s premises there’s not any restaurant availability but there you will get a cook with all the utensils, stove and gas available in a kitchen. You have to provide raw material to the cook and he will prepare you the meals whatever you ask for.

Note:- You will only get vegetarian food inside the National Park because Non-Veg food is not allowed inside the Park.

Sonanadi Forest Rest House Flora & Fauna

Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary is blessed with a surprise package loaded with various faunas when it comes to the fauna part. The sanctuary is a match for the typical North Indian tropical forests.

The plant life of the sanctuary is rich in different species of Sal, Sheesham, Semal, Bali, Aonla, Jamun, Kanthber, Figs and along with medicinal plants and some endangered species of Herbs and Shrubs.

The Wildlife reserve is the shelter for about 600 types of resident and migratory birds. The diversity of avifauna in Sonanadi Sanctuary represents approximately 6% of the total bird species in the world.

The profuse gathering of bird species in the sanctuary offers a prospect to view 150 species of birds in a limited visit to Sonanadi Sanctuary.

The kinds of Birds normally seen here are, Thrushes, Pheasants, Hornbills, Warblers, Flycatchers, Wall Creeper, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Emerald Dove, Himalayan Bearded Vulture, Falcon, Brown Fish Owls, etc.

bird

Mammals found in the wildlife sanctuary are Leopard, Sambhar, Cheetal, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Goral, Otter, Porcupine, Yellow-Throated Marten and Sloth Bear.

deer

The giants like Elephants and Tigers are favourites among the visitors. A large display of reptiles like Python, Monitor Lizard, King Cobra, Different kinds of Turtles, Gharials, Mugger, Mahaseer, and Indian Trout etc.

Corbett National Park and Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary together comprise the Corbett Tiger Reserve which hosts the second largest population of Tiger-Panther Tigris in the world.

The rare sightings of Himalayan Black Bear and Albino Cheetal are also recorded in Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary.

How to Reach Sonanadi Forest Rest House?

You can reach Sonanadi Forest Rest House via Durga Devi Gate, Kalagarh Gate and Vatanvasa Gate. The nearest Railway Station from Sonanadi is Kotdwar Railway Station which is 1.4Km from Sonanadi.

The entry timing to Sonanadi Zone starts at 10:00 AM and stops at 4:00 PM.

Best time to Plan Your Visit

In the winter season(October-February)
You will spot a variety of beautiful and unseen birds alongside elephants and many other wild animals.

For Bird lovers this is the dream time of the year as you can see many unseen birds.

In the monsoon season(July-September)
You should not visit the National park during this period of the year cause weather will not be favourable and there will be road blockages due to rain which will make it impossible to make it through dense Forest.

And due to these reasons, Sonanadi Forest Rest House remains closed during this period.

In Summer Season(March-June)
This time of year which includes March to mid of June is called the summer season in our country. In the summer season, the temperature gets very high as in day time, the temperature may go up to 40 degrees c.

So if you can enjoy your stay in the jungle without air conditioning, a cooler and all the luxurious items then this is also a beautiful season to visit and spot tigers.

Open & Close Timing of Sonanadi Forest Rest House:- Sonanadi remains open from the 15th of October to the 15th of June. And besides this period it remains close.