Purna Wildlife Sanctuary
By most measures the wettest, densest forest in Gujarat: teak, huge bamboo brakes and a closed canopy around the Purna river in northern Dang.
- Best months
- Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
- Time needed
- ~4 hr
- Entry fee
- ₹20
- Hours
- 08:00–18:00
- Effort
- Moderate
Purna Wildlife Sanctuary protects a big block of moist deciduous forest around the Purna river in northern Dang, by most measures the wettest, densest forest tract in Gujarat. Towering teak, huge bamboo brakes and a closed canopy give it a feel closer to the Western Ghats than anything else in the state.
Wildlife here is heard more than seen: leopard, hyena and jungle cat move through, but realistic sightings are barking deer, four-horned antelope, wild boar, giant squirrels, and a strong bird list, hornbills, woodpeckers, raptors and winter migrants. The experience is the forest itself: drives on the internal roads, guided walks around Mahal, and the river running brown in monsoon and clear in winter. The Mahal eco-campsite deep inside the sanctuary is the natural base, with forest-department cottages and tents.
Entry works via forest-department permits at the range gates, with local guides assigned for walks. Seasonal closures apply, the core is typically restricted during peak monsoon, so check before building a trip around it.
Highlights
- ◆Gujarat's densest, rainiest forest tract
- ◆Teak and giant bamboo under a closed canopy
- ◆Strong birding: hornbills to winter migrants
- ◆Mahal eco-campsite as an in-forest base
Traveller tips
- →Book Mahal campsite ahead and build the day around a dawn walk
- →Pair with Girmal Falls: the road onward is one of Dang's best forest drives
- →Winter nights get cold in the forest; pack accordingly
Safety
- ⚠Stay with your guide on all walks: this is leopard country
- ⚠No off-track driving; exit the sanctuary before dark
- ⚠Leeches are standard issue in and just after monsoon
Where it is
Area-level pin, somewhere in the circle; ask locally · 20.9300, 73.7000
Directions to Purna ↗Getting there
Road · Entry via the Mahal road from Ahwa or from the Waghai side; internal forest roads are unpaved
Rail · Waghai (heritage narrow gauge); Bilimora Jn for broad gauge
Air · Surat (~140 km)
Last stretch · Forest tracks to Mahal; walks are guided from the campsite/range office
Questions people ask
Will I see a leopard?
Very unlikely, they're present but shy. Come for the forest, the birds and the deer; treat any big-cat pugmarks your guide finds as the win.
Practical detail
- The road
- Approach tarred; internal roads dirt, slow, and slippery in rain; 4WD helps after rainfall
- Parking
- At Mahal campsite and range gates
- Season
- October–March is prime: open roads, active birdlife, comfortable walking. Monsoon transforms the forest but limits access.
- Visiting
- Core-area access is typically restricted in peak monsoon (roughly mid-June to September), verify current rules before planning.
- Photography
- Forest is dark under canopy. Fast lenses or high ISO; winter mornings give mist over the Purna for landscape frames.
- Food
- Meals at Mahal campsite when booked; otherwise carry food. Ahwa has the nearest restaurants
- Toilets
- basic
- Guides
- Local guides assigned at the gate/campsite; mandatory for walks
Where to sleep
Mahal Eco Campsite
The definitive Dang forest night, Purna river at the doorstep, leopard country beyond the fence, generator-scheduled everything.
Forest Department portal lists Dangi huts from ₹1650, log huts from ₹2700 and suites from ₹3500 a night. Winter weekends fill weeks ahead.
Maa Shabari Farm House & Resort, Subir
The practical bed on the Subir side, which otherwise has none, it puts the Ramayana-trail sites and the Purna sanctuary gate within a short morning drive instead of an hour from Ahwa.
Phone booking; food and accommodation both. Numbers come from a traveller writeup rather than an official listing, so confirm before building a plan around it.
Ahwa & Waghai Basic Hotels (various)
Function over charm. These towns are the practical overnights for waterfall-circuit and Ramayana-trail days that outgrow a Saputara base.
Simple lodges and guesthouses in both towns; walk-in or phone booking. Ahwa's matter for interior-circuit overnights, Waghai's for early ghat starts. Named alternatives now have their own records: see Pravasi Gruh in Ahwa and the government circuit house below.
Devinamal Eco Campsite, Ahwa
The Forest Department's own bed nearest to Ahwa, 7 km out on the Saputara road and 3 km off it, ringed by forest above the Khapri. Cheapest roofed night in interior Dang, and the closest thing to a base for the Ahwa-side waterfalls.
Forest Department portal lists cottage rooms from ₹800 and wooden rooms from ₹2000 a night; run by the local Eco Tourism Committee, so meals are arranged rather than ordered.
Data confidence: Researched · facts last verified 2026-08-08 · 4 field(s) awaiting verification
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