Balpakram National Park

Balpakram National Park is a protected wildlife reserve in the South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, near Hatisia and Baghmara. Established in 1987 and covering about 220 square kilometres, it encompasses the Balpakram plateau, deep gorges and dense forests. Notable for its biodiversity including elephants, tigers, wild water buffalo and red panda, and its scenic landscape of canyons and the Simsang River, it is an important ecotourism destination in northeast India.

Visitors can expect a remote, forested plateau cut by deep gorges and canyons with panoramic viewpoints over the Simsang River valley. The park offers dense tropical and subtropical forests, grasslands and rocky outcrops. Wildlife sightings may include elephants, barking deer, wild buffalo, primates and diverse birds. Exploration is via forest trails and jeep tracks with a guide, with basic forest rest house accommodation and limited visitor facilities in a wilderness setting.

Notified as a National Park in 1987 covering about 220 sq km in South Garo Hills. The Balpakram plateau and gorge landscape has long been recognized for its geological and ecological importance and forms part of the larger Balpakram-Baghmara conservation landscape for elephant and other rare fauna.

Considered sacred by the Garo community, the Balpakram plateau and gorge are associated with traditional beliefs regarding spirits and the journey of souls. The landscape features prominently in Garo folklore and reflects the community's cultural connection to forests and natural features.