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The sanctuary is located in the northern part of the Western
Ghats. It is spread over the three districts
Pune ,
Thane and Raigad covering an area of
130.78-sq-km. There is a shrine in the forest with the Jyotirlinga, temple
of Lord Shiva. Two major tributaries of river Krishna namely Bhima and
Ghod originate from this area. The valley is a splendid combination of
plant and animal life.
The main forest of this sanctuary is the southern tropical semi evergreen forest. Tourists can find wide range of plant life, magical herbs, and shrubs. Dominant species are Mango, Jamun, Hirda, Behda, Bamboo, Shrub, Herbs, Climber, Grass, and Fern.
The area is rich in fauna since there is variety of forest
types in the sanctuary. The wild life found here includes Leopards,
Barking Deer, Sambar, Wild Boar, Langur, and Hyena. Among the birds one
will be able to find Malabar Grey Hornbill, Quaker Babbler, Malabar
Whistling Thrush, Green Pigeon, Black Eagle, Grey Jungle Fowl and many,
many more. One might get to see the great butterfly brigade and Malabar
Giant Squirrel, one of the largest of tree squirrels found over here, well
over three feet long.
The best time to visit this place is from October to May. The climate is pleasant throughout the year and is cool between mid-November to end-February. There are heavy monsoon rains between June-end to September and for those who are romantics at heart the most magical time to enjoy the wilderness is the rainy season.
There is a temple of Lord Shiva. Devotees of Lord Shiva visit this temple in thousands on the day of Maha Shivaratri and on every Monday in the Shravan month (July-August). Other important tourist attractions within the sanctuary are Bombay Point, Nagphani Point, Hanuman Tank, Vanaspati Point, and Gupt Bhimashankar.
Dimbhe
dam is a picnic spot 40-kms from sanctuary on Manchar-Bhimashnakar road.
Along with the Bhimashanker temple trek one can also trek up to Hanuman
Khada for a superb view of the plains below and the surrounding Western
Ghats.
Air: The nearest airport is at
Pune .
Rail: Pune, happens to be the nearest railway station.
Road: The road distance from
Mumbai is 265-km via
Pune. The best way to travel is to drive down from Pune.
MTDC has rooms, which have to be booked in advance. There are a few Dharamshala's and local homes offering accommodation as well as camping equipment. The Forest Department has some accommodation but permission is required from the Dy. Conservator's Office, Pune.