The best place to be for a photographer, in Corbett National Park, is on elephant back. Since there are a limited number of elephants available for rides, it is worthwile checking out some of the other excellent spots. These are The Sambar Trail, The Dhikala watchtower, Dhikala Chaur and lake, Crocodile Pool, High Bank, Gairal Huts (only in the summers), Gettheryo, Jamun Bhuji, Kanda, watch tower on river bank opposite Dhikala, Dhikala complex itself (it may not be as exciting here but you’ll be able to photograph almost all the animals you want and that too at close range), Ram Singh Road and Champion Road.

Sambar Trail :This jungle track extends from the base of the Dhikala watchtower till the Khinanauli rest house. This area probably has the maximum sighting of tigers. This is due to it’s ideal location between the hills on one side and the riverbed on the other. Most of the animals cross over in this area while moving down for water. Also located not far from this track and just a little distance up one of the streams crossing it, is the den of a tiger. Elephants are also frequent visitors to this track and it is important to be able to reverse your vehicle as easily as you drive it forward, if you plan to drive down this way just before sunset in the summer months. A couple of Serpant Eagles also had their nest high up in a tree beside this track, in late 1999. If patience is one of your virtues, it can almost be guaranteed that this track will not send you back disappointed.

The Dhikala Watchtower: This watchtower is perfectly located to enable you to get an excellent view of the entire Ramganga riverbed as well as a large section of the Dhikala chaur. In the southern direction, although little is visible except treetops, it is an ideal setting for bird watching with a pair of powerful binoculars. The watchtower is located a ten-minute walk away from the main rest house. It is probably one of the only places in the park where you are permitted to go by foot. There is a man made waterhole around fifty yards to the south of the watchtower. Although this waterhole is very seldom frequented by animals, if you keep extremely silent and still in the summers, it is possible to see deer, wild boar and birds quenching their thirst at it.

View from Dhikala Watchtower

Ram Singh Road: This mud track leads from the main road to the bank of the river Ramganga. It is only a few hundred yards in length and is located at the opposite end of the grassland in front of Khinanauli. This track is very often used by animals, specially elephants, moving down from the higher reaches of the central ridge to the river below. The point where the track ends at the river offers an excellent view of the riverbed in both directions. Tigers have, on numerous occasions been spotted from this location. Specially to the right in the eastern direction. If halted at this spot for a while, always keep your ears and eyes open for elephants coming down the same track you just did.

Champion Road: This road was named after a forest officer name F.W. Champion. He was an wildlife enthusiast and photographer and it is said that he was the person responsible to a large extent in making Jim Corbett drop his hunting gun for a camera. This track twists and turns it’s way from the main road down to the river Ramganga. It is also frequented to a large extent by elephants. On a lucky day, it is possible to even come across a tiger on it. The main attractions of the spot where this road ends are the crocodiles and otters at the river. They are mostly seen a hundred yards or so to the right of this spot, where the river meanders and cascades out of sight.

View from Champion Road

High Bank: Around fifty yards to the North on the main road between Sarapduli and Khinanauli stands High Bank. It is similar to being among the balcony seats at a theatre. The view from this spot is one of the most picturesque in the park. The chances of seeing wildlife, including the tiger, are extremely high from here but only if you have a high level of patience. From the very base of the cliff, atop which it is located, a vast beach of pure white and rounded river stones and rocks stretches out to the west. Till some years back, it was possible to see crocodiles on the riverbanks below but these predators of the river seem to have abandoned it for some reason now. It is also an excellent spot for some landscape photography.

High bank

Crocodile Pool: Crocodile pool is located on the short cut from Gairal to the other rest houses West of it. It is also a balcony-like natural structure, which looks down upon a pool almost permanently inhabited by crocodiles. The main residents are a couple of gharials. The male is one of the biggest members of this species you will ever see. Some claim he is almost 18 feet from the tip of his snout to the tip of his tail. Crocodile pool also has occasional Mugger visitors. Another sight worth seeing are the fish at this spot. From the huge goonch to the sparkling mahaseer, the bed off the pool upstream is also covered by millions of smaller fish. Unless looked at carefully, these fish just look like a dark riverbed. Also sighted here are many birds like different varieties of the kingfisher. Also be ready for once in a lifetime surprises when you may come across some other animal, like an elephant, relaxing in the cool waters with the crocodiles.

Gettheryo: If you move West from Khinanauli towards Sambar trail, you are confronted by a fork in the path after approximately 200 yards. The path to the right leads down to an area on the riverbed known as Gettheryo. It is from this spot that you have to take the track to cross over to the northern ridge. Gettheryo itself is a huge expanse of mostly dry and rocky riverbed, interspersed by streams of water every now and then. It is an excellent spot for viewing animals that come down to the water to quench their thirst. Most of the animals crossing over from the central to the northern ridge can also be seen from this area. This location with it’s many twisting streams and elongated islands of Khair Sissoo trees, provide beautiful landscape scenarios on misty winter mornings. Chances of sighting a tiger or some elephants, early morning or late evening, in this area are excellent.

Gettheryo

Jamun Bhuji: This spot, which many people pass by without anything more than a second glance, is almost always a beehive of activity. If you park next to it and sit absolutely still and silent for a while, animals and birds begin to appear from every direction. It is located right beside the main spinal road, between Ram Singh Road and Khinanauli and is easy to recognize due to it’s muddy pools and permanent residents. These pools never dry up thanks to a perennial spring located under the root of a Jamun tree, which gives it it’s name. Although up to four tigers were spotted together out here in the early months of the year 2000, it is quite a rare sighting. The big cats tend to stay away from this area due to it’s openness without the presence of bushes and grass and also it’s proximity to the main road. Other than by the cats, it is frequented a lot by almost all the other animals and birds.