Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary

Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected forest area in Yamunanagar district, Haryana, located in the Shivalik foothills along the Yamuna River near the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand borders. Notified in 1996 and covering about 13,209 acres, it is known for dense sal forests, diverse wildlife including leopards, elephants and barking deer, and rich birdlife. It forms a contiguous forest corridor with Rajaji and Simbalbara National Parks.

Visitors can expect a dense sal and mixed deciduous forest in the Shivalik foothills with undulating terrain, forest trails and watchtowers. The sanctuary offers jeep safari tracks through the forest, opportunities to spot wildlife such as leopards, elephants, sambar, barking deer and wild boar, and birdwatching for species like red junglefowl and hornbills. Facilities are basic with forest rest house, entry gate and designated safari routes; the area is natural and relatively undeveloped with no commercial shops inside.

Notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary on 13 December 1996 by the Government of Haryana, covering 13,209 acres (53.45 sq km) in the Shivalik range. It was established to protect the sal forest ecosystem and wildlife corridor connecting Haryana with Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The adjacent Kalesar National Park was notified later, together forming a larger protected landscape.

The forest complex includes the Kaleshwar Mahadev Temple, a locally revered Shiva temple associated with the name Kalesar, which attracts visitors and pilgrims alongside wildlife tourism.