Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park is a rocky, restored landscape beside Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, with walking access from the fort side and other entry points. You can combine a park walk with a visit to the fort while seeing native plants of the Thar Desert and the work behind the landscape’s restoration.
- Location: Beside Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
- Scale: The park covers 70 hectares.
- Access: Enter at the visitor centre or walk in from closer to the fort and several other points.
- Hours: Open daily
- Entry: The park entry ticket costs Rs.100; students up to Class 12 enter free with ID.
How the park fits beside Mehrangarh Fort
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park sits directly beside Mehrangarh Fort, so you can plan the two as adjoining stops rather than separate destinations. The park was created in 2006 to restore the natural ecology of the rocky land around the fort.
You can start at the visitor centre, walk across the park from closer to the fort, or use one of several other entry points. The park’s position makes it easy to pair a nature walk with a Mehrangarh Fort visitor guide focused on the museum, ramparts and access.
Trails and desert landscape
The park’s trails cross rocky terrain shaped by the landscape around Mehrangarh. The visitor centre provides a starting point, but it is not the only way in: you can also enter from near the fort or from other points across the park.
The Mehrangarh Museum Trust gives the park’s area as 70 hectares, about 170 acres. A naturalist-led walk is another way to explore; the fee appears with the other ticket details below.
If you’re fitting the park into a broader day in the city, its fort-side location also works with a one-day Jodhpur itinerary that continues toward the old city.
Native plants and restoration work
Restoration at Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park focuses on replacing invasive Prosopis juliflora with plants native to rocky parts of the Thar Desert. Before the work, the land was highly eroded, gullied rhyolite habitat overrun by the invasive shrub.
The project began in 2006 and is ongoing. Its work includes planting, collecting seeds, developing a nursery, mulching and monitoring, alongside interpretive sign-making and naturalist training.
The project account gives the restoration area as 72 hectares, while the Mehrangarh Museum Trust’s figure is 70 hectares. The visitor centre was created in 2011 and has geological exhibits; trained naturalist guides lead walks around the park.
Planning a walk in hot, dry conditions
The park’s setting is an exposed rocky landscape, and its climate figures span a wide temperature range. The restoration project account records annual rainfall of 314 mm and temperatures from 4°C to 41°C, useful context when deciding how long to spend on the trails.
Give yourself time for the walk between the visitor centre and the fort gate if you plan to connect both stops. Naturalist-led walks are available, with guides trained to take visitors around the park.
Entry, hours and access information
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park is open every day, with seasonal opening hours and an entry fee. From April through September, the hours are 07:00–18:30; from October through March, they are 08:00–17:30.
Opening hours
- Monday to Sunday: 7:00–17:00
Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.
The park entry ticket costs Rs.100. Students up to Class 12 enter free when they show ID. A naturalist-led walk costs Rs.200. Hours and prices can change, so check the official site before you go.
Mehrangarh is about a 17-minute drive from Shanti Bhawan in Jodhpur.
FAQs
Where is Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park?
It is beside Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, on rocky land around the fort.
Can you enter the park from the fort side?
Yes. You can walk into the park from closer to the fort, start at the visitor centre or use several other entry points.
Are naturalist-led walks available?
A naturalist-led walk costs Rs.200.