File:Kudremukh National Park.jpg

English: Kudremukh National Park is located at a distance of 95 km south-west of Chikmagalur town. It is situated in the Western Ghats in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikmagalur and stretches between Narasimha Parvatha (in Sringeri Taluk) in the north to the Jamalabad Fort (in Belthangady Taluk) in the south.

Kudremukh National Park is popular for its scenic beauty, located in midst of mountains and is known for all kinds of flora and fauna spread over an area of 600.32 sq km and is 1,894.3 m above sea level. This Park was named after the eponymous peak, which is shaped like a horse face. Kudremukh National Park is divided into four ranges Kudremukh, Kerekatte, Kalasa, Shimoga. The park is covered with thick hilly forests, mostly evergreen and semi-evergreen near the coastal plains on the western portion. The park is surrounded by Coffee and Tea plantations on the northern and eastern boundaries.

The Kudremukh receives an average annual rainfall of 7000 mm and the humid climate of the region and the tremendous water retention capacity of the shola grasslands and forests has resulted in the formation of thousands of perennial streams in the region converge to form three major rivers the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi.

Flora and Fauna in Kudremukh National Park

Plantations of eucalyptus, casuarinas, acacia auriculiformis and Grevillea Robusta are found here.

The Kudremukh National park houses variety of wildlife such as tiger, leopard, wild dog, Malabar giant squirrel, common langur, sloth bear, gaur, porcupine, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, jackal, giant flying squirrel and the mongoose.

The park also has about 195 species of birds which are Malabar trogon, Malabar whistling thrush, great pied hornbill and the imperial pigeon.

Reptiles like Snakes and tortoises are also found here.