Horagolla National Park

A visit to the lesser known Horagolla National Park on a field trip with a group of Grade 6 students of the Nalanda Education Institute, Veyangoda. 

The Horagolla National Park can easily be reached from the Veyangoda Katunayake Main Road.  I visited the park from Nittambuwa. I drove  1 1/2 km towards Veyangoda. There is a sign board of the park on the main road. The  The park entrance is situated at Pinnagollawatta. It is an 800 m drive from the main road. 

There is no proper vehicle parking area for the park. However, as only a small crowd turns up at the park , you can park your vehicle on the road or in a garden compound for a nominal fee. 

👉Watch the video below for details of the park. 

The park is situated in close proximity to the Nittambuwa town. However, once you enter the park, you get completely cut off from the urban environment. The tall trees with the thick canopy make you feel that you are walking in the Sinharaja rainforest. The forest officers guide the visitors the most friendliest manner. The whole  journey from the main entrance takes less than two hours. There is a paved walk around the park. 

The park is a safe place for students who are interested in learning the natural environment. 

The park is a home to a number of small creatures like bats, giant squirrels , wild boar , fishing cat , golden jackal , porcupine etc. These animals cannot be spotted easily here because of the thick forest cover. The forest is also the home for a number of snake species like viper , cobra , crate etc. 

There is a mini tank closer to the entrance of the park which is a heaven for different fish species , tortoises , water snakes and monitor lizards.  

The place is rich in bio-diversity. This forest which is 33 hectares in extent was declared a wildlife sanctuary on the 5th Sept. 1973. Then it was declared a National Park on  the 24th June 2004. 

The forest is abundant with Hora trees , hence it has received the name Horagolla.  

👉The park is also situated close to the Horagolla Walawwa which is the residence of two prime ministers; S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake and Sirimavo Bandaranayake; and an executive president; Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayake, the daughter of the late Bandaranaykes.