Pampadum Shola National Park

Pampadum Shola National Park, Idukki Overview

Located in Kerala, Pampadum Shola National Park is the smallest national park of the state with an area of 11.75 km square. The park is managed and maintained by Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife. Owing to the spectacular biodiversity of flora and fauna, this park, along with the Westerns Ghats, and few other parks are being observed by UNESCO World Heritage Committee to consider them as a World Heritage Site nominee. Cloudy weather prevails throughout the year in the park, perfect for trekking and picnics.

Geography of Pambadum Shola National Park

The park has an undulating terrain with varied hill heights. The altitudes range between 1500 meters to 2500 meters, and a continuous patch of forest prevails from 1500 meters, up to 2000 meters. The area above that is mostly covered with grasslands.

Flora of Pambadum Shola National Park

Pampadum Shola National Park protects several species of flora. In all, the park has over 22 species of trees, 15 species of climbers and 22 species of herbs. The vegetation in general, mainly herbs are used for medicinal purposes. Along with tourists, the park has also attracted scientists to conduct various studies on the species of flora spotted in the forest.

Fauna of Pambadum Shola National Park

The highlighted feature of this national park is the highly endangered Nilgiri Marten – an exotic carnivore. Other common species include leopards, tigers, Indian wild dogs. Elephants, Nilgiri langurs, buffaloes, gaur, lion-tailed macaque, and many other animals can be randomly spotted from dusk till dawn. The national park houses 14 species of birds, 100 species of butterflies, and 93 species of moths. Some noteworthy birds found here include the white-bellied shortwing, Nilgiri wood-pigeon, vernal hanging parrot, blue capped rock thrush, black and orange flycatchers, and Nilgiri flycatcher. Reptile population in the park mainly includes cobra and pythons.

History of Pambadum Shola National Park

Pampadum Shola National Park was declared as a national park in 2003. Pampadum Shola National Park has an interesting story for its name. Pampadum Shola is a Malayalam word which translates to 'a forest where snakes dance'. Here, 'pamp' translates to a snake, 'aattam' refers to the dance performed by the snakes and 'shola' or 'cholai' translates to a forest.

Trekking in Pambadum Shola National Park

There are several trekking trails. Trekking timings are from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The duration for the trek is 3 hours.

Best Time To Visit Pambadum Shola National Park

Kerala is worth a visit during the summer and monsoon seasons between April to September. The weather is as pleasant as it can get, thus, making it the ideal time to visit the park. This is also the time you can participate in adventure treks, camps, and nature trails while spending the night in log cottages and camps.

How to Reach Pambadum Shola National Park

By air: The nearest airports are Cochin International Airport and Coimbatore International Airport in Tamil Nadu, about 170 km and 160 km respectively.

By railways: The nearest railway stations are Aluva and Udumalpet, about 180 km and 110 km respectively. Both are located in Tamil Nadu.

By road: You can hire a private or public vehicle or drive your vehicle to Pampadum Shola. The nearest town is Munnar, about 35 km away. You need to take the Kochi – Kodaikanal highway to reach the park.