Bhawal National Park forest paths

The forest paths of Bhawal National Park lie at Bhawal Garh in Gazipur District, in Bangladesh's Dhaka Division, roughly 40 km north of central Dhaka. The park protects one of the last substantial remnants of the Madhupur-type sal (Shorea robusta) forest, with a core area of about 940 hectares. Visitors reach the trailhead from Gazipur Chowrasta by CNG auto-rickshaw or ride-hailing car, a journey of about 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh corridor. Entry is through the park gate at Bhawal Garh, where a modest ticket is normally collected; fees and opening hours can change, so they are best confirmed locally on arrival. Parking is informal and limited to a small area near the gate.

The walking network combines marked and informal tracks, and a typical loop covers 3 to 6 km over two to three hours. The terrain is flat, sitting only about 10 to 30 metres above sea level, so elevation gain is negligible and technical difficulty is easy. The surface is mostly packed red-brown earth and leaf litter, which becomes slippery and muddy after monsoon rain between June and September. Much of the route runs beneath a dense sal canopy, giving good shade and little exposure to direct sun, although humidity is high for most of the year.

Along the way, walkers pass tall sal stands interspersed with smaller broadleaf trees and bamboo clumps. Rhesus macaques are frequently seen near the tracks, and the forest supports a range of resident and migratory birds, best observed in the early morning. Because paths branch informally, a sensible turn-around point is any junction where the signage ends; a short out-and-back of about 3 km suits visitors with limited time, while the longer loop suits those wanting a fuller forest experience.

There are no refuge huts or developed shelters along the trails, and drinking water is not reliably available inside the forest. Visitors should carry their own water, plus a hat, insect repellent and closed shoes. Small stalls near the entrance sell drinks and snacks. Weekends and public holidays draw picnic crowds from Dhaka, so weekday mornings are quieter. Mobile coverage is generally available, but a downloaded offline map helps when informal tracks split.