Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary & Lake (Darjeeling Tourism 2024)

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary and Lake is set up in 1915, it is one of the oldest sanctuaries in India.

In this post, I will show you complete information about Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary.

Here, you will know about,

• Wildlife and Plantation of Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary 
• Senchal Lake
• 20 km Cycling Trek
• And, much more information

Let’s get started.

About Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary and Senchal Lake

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in India which cover an area of ​​38.6 km2 (14.9 sq mi). Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Darjeeling, West Bengal in an elevation range of approx 4,900 to 8,500 feet.

The Sanctuary is home to many Wild Boar, rhesus monkey, Assam macaque, Indian leopard, Himalayan black bears, dear, and many more animals. Instead of the only Animal, the sanctuary is also home to many birds. There is a pure water lake in the sanctuary, named Senchal lake which is used to supply drinking water for the locals of the town of Darjeeling.

Basically, Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is surrounded by man-made and natural forests. The forest is full fill with the most Oak Trees, then, the forest represents the kawla, champ, cotton, katus, etc. Basically, 40% of the forest is natural and the other is balanced by humans. balance is man-made. The main forest area is a bit off the lake. Though the forest of the sanctuary is a mixture of Natural and Man-made trees, you can’t make a difference between them.

Senchal Lake

As we already know before, Senchal Sanctuary is one of the oldest sanctuaries in Darjeeling Hill, and the lake, Senchal Lake is located inside the sanctuary. The Mountain spring is fully fill the water of the lake and its water is used to supply drinking water to the town of Darjeeling. This narrow and long lake is surrounded by forest and vegetarians, though the dense forest is far from the lake. There are many colorful flower-like orchids and rhododendrons which enhance the beauty of the lake.

Plantations in the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary

The forest of the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary has a wide variety of shrubs and trees including pine, oak forest, and birch. Above the sea level of 2000 meters and 2400 meters, this oak forest is situated which is home to more than 350 species of flowering plants, including orchids and rhododendrons.

There are other many plants  Kapasi, Katus, Kawla, Dhupi, Champ, Hemlock, and other various types of  Bamboo, Ferns, etc. In the range of 1500 meters to 2000 meters, there are many sub-tropical plants like Pipli and Machilas edulis found.

Wildlife at the Sanctuary

In the sanctuary, there are much variety of A variety of wildlife can be seen in the dense forest such are  Indian civets, giraffes, monkeys, Himalayan flying squirrels, Himalayan black bears, leopards and wild dogs, scaly ants, and more.

 In addition, Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is also great for bird watching. The most popular and found birds are Black-backed Partridge, Red Jungle Fowl, Hornbill, Golden Back Woodpecker, Bubblers, Emerald Cuckoo, and many more birds.

The cycling trail

The Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary has opened the country’s first bicycle trail, which is 20 kilometers long route through dense pine forests. It was inaugurated by the local authorities. This area is the motorcycle and car fee zone. 

You can easily rent a Bicycle from the Sanctuary authority and enjoy the beautiful view of the human crowd-free pine forest. If you are interested in a Bicycle ride, you have to take permission at the entrance of the sanctuary. Cyclists are not allowed to take snacks with them into the forest, during rides. In the rainy season, typically in September month, the Sanctuary is closed.

• Starting point: The main gate of the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorbangla
• Endpoint: Chatakpur village
• About the route: The newly opened cycling trail was once an old route connecting Darjeeling and Karsiyang. This trail The highest point of elevation is about 2,600 meters. At the end of this route, the Cycle rider can enjoy tea and snacks in Chatakpur.
• Distance: 20 km
• Permission: You need to take permission from the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary Authority and a Ticket of Rs.50.

Nearby Attraction of the Sanctuary

The most attractive and beautiful nearby attraction of Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is Tiger Hill. Senchal Lake and Tiger Hill are close to each other. If you are planning to see the beautiful sunrise of Tiger Hill in the early morning, visiting and one-day picnic at Senchal Lake is the best idea. From Tiger Hill, you have to get off at Jorebungalow and then take an uphill road toward Senchal Lake.

Accommodation: Where To Stay at Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary

Inside the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, there is Guesthouse, named, Rambi Forest Rest House which is maintained by the Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Division-I, Darjeeling. The rent price is Rs.1500 per room, if you want to stay the night, you need to take groceries and other essential things for cooking.

Rambi Rest House Booking information:

• Call Wildlife Division-1, Darjeeling. Phone: (0354) 2257314
• Office of the Ranger Officer (Jorebungalow) 
• Senchal West Range, Wildlife Division-I, Darjeeling, West Bengal 

Best Time To Visit Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary

You can visit the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary throughout the Year. Though, the Best time to visit the sanctuary is in Winter Season, which is November to March Month. This Sanctuary is closed during Rainy Season, which is August and September.

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary Timings, Ticket Price 

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary Timings:

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary Ticket Price:

You need to collect the Entrance Ticket Price from the Ranger’s office at Jorebunglow which is Rs.50.

How to Reach Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary and Senchal Lake

You can reach the Senchal Wildlife Saanatry in 3 ways;

• By Road
• By Train 
• By Air

1. By Road: NH 55 is the main road between  Darjeeling and Siliguri. From Siliguri, you can take the Bus service. In addition, if you are traveling via Taxi or Private car. There are 4 routes There are four routes to choose from Siliguri to Darjeeling: i) Tindharia-Kursiyong route ii) Dudhia-Mirik route iii) Rohini route iv) Pankhabari.
2. By Air: Bagdogra is the nearest airport, which is around 90 km (via NH 110) away from Darjeeling. This airport is an airport connected by flight from major cities like Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai.
3. By Train: Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri are the two nearest stations of Darjeeling apart from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Station. New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling railway stations have direct rail links to Kolkata, Delhi, and other major cities in India.

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the southern part of  ​​Darjeeling. You can reach Senchal Lake via Old Military road from Jorebungalow. Senchal Sacnutay is about 3 km away from Ghoom. So the total distance from Darjeeling city is about 11 kilometers, from the main city, you can take a Local Car or Taxi to visit here.

In addition, you can also book a car from Darjeeling Chowk Bazar taxi stand to Jorebungalow and if you like hiking, you can hike 3 km from Jorenanglo to Senchal Lake. 

Location in Google Map:

FAQ’s

Conclusion

To Sum up, Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Jorebunglow, Darjeeling is one of the oldest sanctuaries in India. Senchal Lake supplies drinking water to the people of the city. Moreover, for cycle riders, it is the best place to ride in the pine forest. I hope you have found complete information about Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary in this in-depth article.

Now, I’d like to know from you:

Have you visited this sanctuary before?

Are excited about Cycle trekking on a 20 km long road here while you will visit the place?

Let me know in the comment Right now.

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Somraj Mondal

Somraj Mondal is an Extensive experience in SEO and Travel, Lifestyle, and Bird Enthusiast expert of Indianchacha. A professional Blogger who loves to explore new places, and new cultures.