Mathikettan Shola National Park is a national park located in the village of Poopara in Udumbanchola Taluk, Kerala. It is one of the protected reserves in Kerala and one of the most visited places in Munnar. The park houses evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, shola grasslands, and semi-evergreens. Covered an area of 12.82 sq. km, the park is a biodiversity hotspot and plays a vital role in safeguarding wildlife in the region and also being a very important elephant corridor in South India. Mathikettan Shola National Park is between other national reserve forests such as Eravikulam National Park and Pampadam Shola National Park.
The name Mathikettan has been derived from a Tamil word which refers to 'mind confuser'. It has been so named as the paths inside the forest is quite confusing and one who enters the park can easily get lost, according to the local folks. Three streams namely Uchillkuthi Puzha, Mathikettan Puzha, and Njandar being the tributaries of Panniyar, originate from the hill ranges of Mathikettan.
The Mathikettan tract was notified as a Reserve Forest by the Travancore Government in 1897. It was declared as a national park in 2003 to protect the wildlife and rich biodiversity of the area. Prior to becoming a national park, parts of the land were leased for cardamom production. The Shola forest in the area is endowed with geographical fauna, flora and fauna. Cardamom is still cultivated in some parts of the forest.
The park is home to rare animals like Tigers, Panthers, Elephants, Giant grizzled squirrel, Flying squirrels, Spotted deer and Nilgiri tahr. The park abounds in snakes such as cobras, pythons, vipers and rat snakes, turtles, crocodiles, and lizards.
The forest department organizes trekking trips for visitors up to 9 km into the dens forest. Mathikettan Shola can be approached from Poopara via Munnar, on the Munnar - Kumily Highway. The trek route starts from the Poopara village and attracts large numbers of adventure seekers with its trails that run through the forests providing amazing views of the region. Watching birds and wildlife in their natural habitat is a popular attraction among trekkers in the national park.
Officials will accompany the tourists. Make sure you wear the appropriate clothing and footwear to safeguard yourself from bites of any kind. The best time to visit Mathikettan Shola National Park is between the months of November to March.
Things to do
Jungle safari
Trekking
Birdwatching
Visiting Hours: 7 AM - 4PM
Entry Fee: INR 40 Per Person for Indians
INR 500 Per Person for foreigners
Location: X6MW+VG6, Kochi - Dhanushkodi Road, Pooppara, Kerala 685619
How to Reach
Mathikettan Shola can be approached from Poopara via Munnar, on the Munnar - Kumily Highway. One can also reach Poopara on the Idukki route via Kothamangalam. The nearest airports are Cochin International Airport and Madurai Airport which is about 140 km from the park. The roads are well-connected to the park. Theni Railway Station is about 55 km from the park and is the nearest railway station. The nearest city is Munnar, and if one opts to travel via road, they may as the roads are well-connected with all of the major cities. There are plenty of public and private bus or vehicle services that provide the road journey to the park, and they leave at regular intervals.