Kanha Park

Kanha National Park Guide: Zones, Gates and Wildlife

Kanha National Park map showing core zones, buffer zones and the Khatia, Mukki, Sarhi and Phen gates

Kanha National Park is divided into Two Zones

Core Zone : Kanha, Kisli, Sarhi, Mukki

Buffer Zone: Khapa, Khatia, Phen, Sijora

There are three Gates for entry into zones

Khatia Gate: All Core zones (Kanha, Kisli, Sarhi & Mukki) can be entered through this gate & Khatia Buffer Zone

Sarhi Gate: Kanha, Kisli & Sarhi (Core) zones can be entered through this gate & Sijora Buffer Zone

Mukki Gate: Kanha, Kisli & Mukki (Core) zones can be entered through this Gate & Khapa Buffer Zone

Phen Wild Life Sanctuary: It is a completely different zone and can be entered through Phen Gate as shown on the Map.

  1. Kanha Tiger Reserve is located in the Maikal Hills of the beautiful Satpura ranges spreading over two districts - Mandla and Balaghat. 
  2. Kanha was declared a reserve forest in 1879 and notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1933. Its status was further upgraded to a national park in 1955. In the year 1973, It was upgraded to Kanha Tiger Reserve.
  3. The hard-ground barasingha, the state animal of Madhya Pradesh, survives in the wild only in Kanha. 
  4. The All India Tiger Estimation 2022 counted 105 tigers in Kanha Tiger Reserve. 

 

How to Reach Kanha National Park

By Air

  1. Guests can reach the park from Jabalpur Airport, which is 177 km away
  2. Nagpur in Maharashtra at a distance of 266 km is a big airport near Kanha National Park, 
  3. Raipur is also a very convenient airport just 200 km from Kanha National Park and is very well connected.

By Rail

  1. Jabalpur, Nagpur, and Gondia, which are located 177 km, 266 km, and 200 km respectively from Kanha National Park, 
  2. Recently railway has connected Chiraidongri ( 35 km) and Nainpur (50 km) from Jabalpur. In a short time, Mandla station will be started.

By Road

  1. Roads are well-connected from Jabalpur, Nagpur, Bilaspur, Raipur, Mandla, and Balaghat.
Plan your entry

Kanha Gates and Zones

Your safari permit is for one zone and one gate. This table shows which zones each gate opens to.

GateCore zones you can enterBuffer zoneGood to know
Khatia GateAll four core zones: Kanha, Kisli, Mukki and SarhiKhatia buffer zone2 km from Kanha Resort; the most used entry
Mukki GateKanha, Kisli and MukkiKhapa buffer zoneSouthern side, near Baihar
Sarhi GateKanha, Kisli and SarhiSijhora buffer zoneEastern side, quieter
Phen GatePhen Wildlife SanctuarySeparate sanctuaryA different zone shown on the park map
2026-27 season

When Kanha Is Open

The core zones open from mid-October to 30 June and close for the monsoon. Some buffer zones stay open longer; check when you book.

Season

Mid-October to 30 June

Core zones closed in the monsoon (July to mid-October).

Best for wildlife

February to June

Dry forest and waterholes make tigers easier to spot.

Best weather

November to February

Cool mornings, green forest and winter birds.

Two drives a day

Kanha Safari Timings

Timings are set by the Forest Department and change with the season.

October to February

Morning: sunrise to 11:00 AM

Afternoon: 2:00 PM to sunset

February to April

Morning: sunrise to 11:00 AM

Afternoon: 3:00 PM to sunset

April to June

Morning: sunrise to 10:00 AM

Afternoon: 3:30 PM to sunset

Kanha Safari Booking Places to Visit Near Kanha National Park
Good to know

Kanha National Park FAQs

How many zones are there in Kanha National Park?

Kanha has four core zones (Kanha, Kisli, Mukki and Sarhi) and buffer zones including Khatia, Khapa and Sijhora. Phen Wildlife Sanctuary is a separate zone with its own gate.

Which gate is best for Kanha National Park?

Khatia Gate is the most convenient because all four core zones can be entered from it, and it has the most stays nearby. Kanha Resort is 2 km from Khatia Gate.

Where is Kanha National Park?

Kanha National Park is in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, in the Maikal hills of the Satpura range. Jabalpur airport is about 160 km from Khatia Gate by road.