Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary covers a long, rugged stretch of the Western Ghats in the Satara district of Maharashtra, around the Koyna reservoir, which the locals call Shivsagar. The dam across the Koyna river was built in the 1950s and 60s to produce hydroelectric power, and the lake behind it now stretches for more than sixty kilometres through the hills, one of the largest in the state. In December 1967 an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck near the dam, killing nearly two hundred people, and it is one of the best-known examples of earthquakes thought to be triggered by a reservoir.
The land around is a green wall, part of the Sahyadri range that UNESCO listed as a World Heritage Site in 2012 for its biodiversity. The slopes are covered in semi-evergreen forest, with teak, ironwood and giant bamboo, and in the monsoon waterfalls pour down every rock face. The sanctuary and the neighbouring Chandoli National Park form the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, home to leopards, Indian gaur, sambar, giant squirrels and a small number of tigers. The birds are rich too, with hornbills and the Malabar whistling thrush, whose song is a gentle, human-like whistle at dawn.
The riding is in the Ghats themselves, on narrow mountain roads that climb in hairpins and drop to the Konkan coast. A road through the Koyna valley connects Satara with Chiplun on the coast, with long rainforest stretches, tight bends and little traffic, though in the monsoon landslides, fallen branches and fog can be a serious problem. The best time is October to February, when the air is clear and the grass is green, and the hot season from March to May is dusty. Be careful at dusk, when animals cross the road and the light fades quickly.
This is remote country, so plan fuel carefully. The nearest town is Koynanagar, about twenty-six kilometres away, which has some services, but the larger towns of Satara and Karad are safer bets for a full tank. There are a few small hotels and forest rest houses near the dam, and food is simple, mostly rice, lentils and fresh vegetables. Carry water and a rain jacket, and check with the forest department about access, as parts of the sanctuary are restricted for conservation.