Desert National Park

Desert National Park is a wildlife sanctuary situated in the state of Rajasthan near the town of Jaisalmer. Situated in the sand dunes of Thar Desert, the Desert National Park is regarded as one of the largest national parks in India and also one of the top places to visit as part of Jaisalmer tour.

The Desert National Park was established in 1980, and it depicts the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. Spread over an area of 3162 sq. km, the park is extensively covered by sand dunes over large extents. The main area of the park comprises compact salt lake bottoms, fixed dunes and craggy rocks. There are many lakes inside the national park including Rajbaugh Lake, Milak Lake and Padam Talao Lake.

Although 20% of the park is covered with sand dunes, the park has abundant bird-life. Over 120 resident and migratory birds can be found in the park. The most commonly spotted birds include various species of eagles, vultures, falcons, harriers, kestrels, larks, shrikes, buzzards, etc. Desert national park is home to some of the rarest species of birds like the Great Indian Bustard. It migrates locally in different seasons.

Chinkara, desert fox, Bengal fox, desert cat, blackbuck, hedgehog, etc. are some of the commonly seen species of animals in the park. It is home to a great variety of reptiles such as Russell viper, saw scaled viper, monitor lizard, krait, etc. There are over 40 species of reptiles in the park. The fauna cover is limited to thorny shrubs, cacti, grasses and a few other plants and trees. The Desert National Park has a collection of fossils of animals and plants of 180 million years old. Some fossils of dinosaurs of 6 million years old have been found in the area.

The best way to explore the Desert National Park is by taking a Jeep safari. The most suitable time to visit the area is between November and January. This is the time when the maximum numbers of migratory birds visit this area.