Pampadum Shola National Park

Location - Devikulam Taluk, Idukki District, Kerala
Best time to visit - January to March
How to reach:-
Train - Udumalaipettai Railway Station (109 km)
Flight - Cochin International Airport (142 km)

Pampadum Shola National Park is the smallest national park in Kerala, popular for its ecotourism activities. At an elevation of 1886 metres from the sea level, the national park is located just 36 km away from Munnar. Pampadum Shola is a beautiful place in the eastern part of the South-Western Ghats of Kerala, stretched over an area of about 11.753 sq km. the ultimate significance of the national park lies in the Shola ecosystem, which provides shelter to a considerable population of locally endemic species. The area of Pampadum Shola National Park also caters to research works and conservation education as a field laboratory. Moreover, the park also serves as the corridor between the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu and the Kannan Devan Hills of Kerala and lies adjacent to the Anamala Tiger Reserve, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Eravikulam National Park.

There are no safaris run in the forest of the national park. However, the ecotourism program at Pampadum Shola National Park encompasses guided trekking and camping facilities conducted together by the Forest Department and the Eco-development Committees (EDCs) of the local tribals. A ‘Nature Trail to the Watch Tower’ is organised, where the adventurous trekking trail is routed through the Munnar-Kodaikanal forest road to the Watch Tower at Varandavu. The ecotourism activities are tailored to provide tourists with a wide range of wilderness and a credible means of livelihood for the local tribal communities. Staying in the cottages of the forest department is the best way to imbibe the true colors of the Shola forest teeming with the vast spectrum of flora and fauna. The temperature at Pampadum Shola ranges between 6℃ (December) - 30℃ (April).

History - The year of establishment of the Pampadum Shola National Park is 2003 and it was under the administration of the Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife under the Munnar Wildlife Division. It was declared a National Park by the Government of Kerala in December 2004. The name of the national park holds an exceptional meaning. The term ‘Pampadum Shola’ in Malayalam stands for ‘a forest where snakes dance’. On fragmenting the name, the literal meaning goes like this - ‘Pamp’ means snake, ‘Aattam’ means the dance of the snakes, and ‘Shola’ or ‘Cholai’ means a high altitude evergreen forest.

Flora - 22 species of trees, 16 species of climbers, 74 species of herbs and shrubs, Southern montane wet temperate forest, Southern montane wet temperate grassland, Transition forests, Myristica swamp forest, sub-montane hill valley swamp forest, etc.

Fauna - Nilgiri Marten, Indian Wild Dogs, Leopards, Tigers, Buffaloes, Sambar, Elephants, Gaur, Lion Tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langurs, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Wild Boar, White-Bellied Shortwing, Blue Rock-Thrush, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Blue-Capped Rock-Thrush, Black And Orange Flycatchers, etc. and multiple species of butterflies and moths.