Chandoli became a national park in 2004, which makes it young by Indian standards, but the forest it protects has been growing in the Sahyadri hills since long before the idea of parks existed. It lies in Sangli and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra, around the reservoir of the Warna river, and it links with Koyna to the south to form the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, one of the main wild corridors of the northern Western Ghats.
What you see is the scarp of the Ghats in all its drama, with sheer basalt cliffs, laterite plateaus that blaze with wildflowers after the monsoon, and thick forests of ain, jamun and wild mango in the valleys. Tigers have been moving back into the park in recent years, though you are far likelier to see Indian gaur, sambar, barking deer and giant squirrels, and in the evenings the calls of Malabar whistling thrushes and hornbills fill the trees. On the ridges, the old hill fort of Prachitgad stands within the area, a ruined Maratha stronghold reached by a rough track.
The roads that cross the range are what a rider comes for. They drop from the plateau to the Konkan coast in a series of tight bends and sudden views, with waterfalls pouring off the cliff in the rains and mist covering the road at dawn. The surface is a mixture of tarmac and patched concrete, and bridges can be narrow and slippery. After heavy monsoon rain, landslides and fallen trees are common, and local people will happily tell you which stretches are blocked. Dusk brings animals to the roadside, so avoid riding after dark.
Plan your fuel in Karad, Satara or Kolhapur, the larger towns on the plateau, and carry water. Small stalls serve tea and vada pav, the Maharashtrian answer to a burger, and homestays near the park offer rice, lentils and a very hot red chutney. Entry to the park is controlled by the Forest Department, so check what is open, and go between November and February for clear skies and cool days.