The Guide: Walking Trails in Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve

As Naveen Upadhyay, naturalist and local guide from Kyari Village in Uttarakhand and I step into a dense sal forest at dawn, he turns to me with a finger on his lips. “Shh, listen. The forest speaks,” he says. “Can you hear the carpenter? katttttarrrrrrrrrrr. That’s a woodpecker. Can you hear that car horn? Honk-honk! Plum-headed parakeet.” We are on the edges of Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, hoping primarily to spot woodpeckers. From dawn to dusk, we circle the 60-sq-km semi-deciduous, sal-dominated reserve on foot, entering different gates and following various trails along the Dabka and Baur rivers.

This isn’t my first time in a sal forest. Pawalgarh’s close neighbour is the world-famous Jim Corbett National Park. In the past, I have zoomed countless times through it on competitive safari jeeps, leaving behind clouds of dust, shielding my eyes with one hand while the other firmly grips the door handle. What sets Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve apart is that though it has jeep safaris, it offers the rare privilege of sauntering through the forest on foot. Local guides take you on various trails in and around the forest to spot birds, butterflies and more. I can listen to, smell, see, and soak in the jungle. I see termite mounds slowly change colour, from deep orange to rust, to match the soil as we go deeper into the forest. I walk along elephant corridors, taking in the earthy musk of elephant dung along the way.

 

Compared to the morning orchestra, afternoons in the forest are quiet. Every sound is registered — the semul fruit falls with a thud, every dry sal leaf I step on crushes like fried papad. “Kapil Dev! Kapil Dev!” says Bhupinder Singh, another local guide leading me on a trail. It’s the skittish, ground-dwelling grey francolin. Its call sounds remarkably like the former Indian cricket star’s name!

A moment later, not far away, a barking deer calls in alarm, and I leap to attention. It reminds me of a story I read the previous night in a book casually lying by the bedside — Jim Corbett’s Bachelor of Pawalgarh. Pawalgarh was first made famous in Jim Corbett’s account of killing the largest tiger of his career, nicknamed the “Bachelor of Pawalgarh”. Some accounts claim that it was over 10 feet long. But Singh smiles and says, “The barking deer is easily scared. It probably saw us and called in alarm”. 

Explore

Named after the local village of Pawalgarh, the reserve was notified as a protected area in 2012, thanks to the staggering diversity of birds, butterflies, and mammals. Lying in the foothills of the Himalayas, it is an extension of the Corbett Landscape and spreads across about 60 sq km. The Dabka and Baur rivers sustain this reserve — their banks lined with lush mixed tropical forests dominated by gregarious communities of sal trees. Over the years, local conservation initiatives spearheaded by naturalist Sanjay Sondhi and the Titli Trust have trained and encouraged local youth to run eco-friendly homestays and take guided walks along the forest to spot birds, butterflies, and moths. Walks are conducted in the peripheries of the reserve around the villages of Kyari, Pawalgarh, and Kaladunghi, which are rich in sightings.

Wildlife

Pawalgarh Conservation reserve has at least 32 species of mammals, including tigers and leopards. Elephants use the forest to travel across the landscapes of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. However, what sets this reserve apart is the opportunity to walk through and around it in search of birds that one would miss on a jeep safari. The habitat hosts over 360 bird species, including 16 species of woodpeckers (there are 34 species on the Indian subcontinent). The prehistoric-looking great slaty woodpecker, India’s largest and most vulnerable woodpecker, is seen here in large, cacophonous flocks. The habitat is also home to 125 butterfly species and over 100 moth species.  

Safaris and Walking Trails

Jeep Safari: To go on a jeep safari, you need a permit from the forest department, which you can obtain through your hotel, homestay, or tour operator.

Duration: 3-4 hours

Cost: Rs 4,000 for six passengers

Walking trails: Locals around Pawalgarh offer walking tours to see birds, butterflies, and trees.

Duration: 3-4 hours

Costs: Rs 800-1,200 per head

Operator: For jeep safaris and walking trails, contact Naveen Updhayay (+91 94561 43370) and Bhupinder Singh (+91 82793 69328).

Four recommended trails:

1. Chuna Khan and Barati Rau: The Chuna Khan walking trail starts on a wide path that quickly narrows into an uphill pathway over creaky bridges overlooking deep valleys and ravines. The walk’s highlight is at the end — three small waterfalls pour into a tiny pool that invites birds and animals to quench their thirst. Expect drama at any hour of the day. While I gawk at a great hornbill flying overhead, Singh tells me the waterfall is locally called Barati Rau, after a wedding procession or “baraat” that once took this route and mysteriously disappeared, inspiring myths and ghostly tales. Barati Rau is also a great spot to sight the rare great slaty woodpecker.

2. Hathi Galiyar: This trail runs through an elephant corridor flanked by tall, ageing sal trees and then by the banks of the Dabka River. The rocky river is good for sighting five kingfisher species that hunt in its waters and nest on its mud banks.

3. Karda Srot: “Srot” in local languages means a place where water runs. The trail is interspersed with gurgling streams that cut through it until you finally reach a lush sal forest. Spot butterflies along stream edges and moist spots, especially during the pre-monsoon (mid-March to June) and post-monsoon (mid-September to November) seasons.

4. Trails around Kyari Village: Trails take you through village backyards, on the peripheries of Sitabani Wildlife Sanctuary, and through the gurgling Khichdi River. Along the river, you can spot kingfishers, serpent eagles, wagtails etc. Around village backyards, you may see jackals and foxes rummaging through garbage. While walking along the peripheries of Sitabani Wildlife Sanctuary, keep your ears peeled for the steady drumming of woodpeckers.  

Getting there:

Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve can be reached by road from Ramnagar (25 km) and Haldwani (50 km), while Delhi is a 298-km drive away. The nearest airport is Pantnagar Airport (81.5 km). Ramnagar is the closest railhead (25 km).

Stay

Harryman’s Pawalgarh Homestay is a clean guesthouse with basic amenities and home-cooked vegetarian meals. Costs between Rs 1,000-1,500 per person. (https://ecoharrymanshomestay.com/ or contact Bhupinder Singh on 82793 69328).

Camp Hornbill is a sustainable eco-resort run by the local community. It offers walking trails near Kyari village. Thatched mud huts, fruiting trees that invite hornbills and woodpeckers, and delicious local food make the stay here worthwhile. Costs: Rs 4,000 per room that accommodates two, including all meals. (https://thecamphornbill.com/ or contact 82796 40517/ 7983968949)

Forest rest houses in Pawalgarh, Sitabani, Bhalon, and Kaladhungi have basic accommodation. Forest rest houses in Sitabani and Kaldhungi were built in the 1940s and have sheltered Jim Corbett. Contact DFO Ramnagar (05947-251362, 9458192155).