The Indira Gandhi National Park is located in the Anaimalai hills in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and is named after the late Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. It covers the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi, Valparai and Udumalpet taluks of the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Sprawling over an area of 108 sq. km. the forest is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is also a sanctuary inside the Park, which was formerly known as the Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is spread over an area of 958 sq. km. The Park is easily accessible, as it is a major tourist destination. The nearest Airport is at Coimbatore, which is located at a distance of 75 km. The Pollachi Railway station at a distance of 35 km. is the nearest railway station. The Park is also connected by roadways. Pollachi is a large town, which is connected to the major cities of Tamil Nadu via buses.

The main tourist zone in the National Park is the Top Slip located at an altitude of 350 metres to 2,400 metres above mean sea level. The zone is rich in flora and fauna. Hills covered with dense forests, sprawling grasslands, plateaus and valleys characterize the terrain. It receives an annual rainfall of 500m to 5000 m. m.

The vegetation of the forest is of the mixed deciduous variety with abundant evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Some parts of the park have semi- evergreen and wet temperate vegetation. This region contains teak, rosewood and many other tropical species.

The park has some of the rare and endangered variety of trees, which are Angiopterris Erectra, Gnetum Ula, Impaliens Elegans, Lycopodium cernum, Ranunculus Reniformis, Osmunda Regulis, Combretum Ovalifolium, Dispyros nilagrica, Gymnopteris Contaimirans, Habebarai Reriflora, Polypodum Pleroupus, Alsophila, Bulbophyllum sp, and Lasianthus uenuloses.

The park also has a rich variety of fauna. Some of the wildlife variety found here are Nilgiris Tahr, Civet Cat, Elephants, Pangolin, Sambar, Barking Deer, mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Tigers, Panthers, Wild Boar, and Sloth Boar.The Park also offers splendid sight of rare wildlife animals like lion tailed macaque, Bonnet macaque, Nilgiris langur, common langur, Malabar giant squirrel and Grizzled giant squirrel.

The Park is also the habitat of five hundred species of birds including resident and migratory birds. Some of the bird species found here are Rufus Wood Pecker, Rose Ringed Parakeet, Black Eagle, Great Indian Malabar Pied Horn Bill, Fiary Blue Bird, Green Billed Malkhoha, Black Headed Oriole, Paradise Flycatcher, Whistling Thrust, Emerald Dove, Green Pigeon, Tickell`s Flower Pecker, Cormorants, Quails, Hornbills, Orioles, Storks, Eagles and Owls, Racket Tailed Drongo, and Wynad laughing thrush. Reptiles found in the Park are toads, leaping frogs, torrent frogs, tree frogs, pythons, cobras, kraits, vipers, grass snakes, forest cane turtles, travancore tortoises, flapshells, star tortoises, flying lizards, chameleons and forest calotes.

The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is the home of 4600 Adivasi people from six different tribes. The tribes residing here are the Kadars, Malasars, Malaimalasars, Pulaiyars, Muduvars and Eravalars.

The park also offers excellent trekking facilities.