Batang Gadis National Park

Mountain rainforest in North Sumatra: an active volcano, villages roofed with palm fibre, hot springs, and tigers and tapirs on camera traps.

Batang Gadis National Park (Taman Nasional Batang Gadis, TNBG) lies in Mandailing Natal Regency, at the southern end of North Sumatra province, Indonesia. It is named after the Batang Gadis, the main river of the regency. The park climbs from about 300 metres to 2,145 metres at the summit of Sorik Marapi volcano.

A short history

The idea came from below: the Mandailing Natal regency government, community leaders and environmental groups pushed for a park in 2000–2003. Parts of the forest had already been protected since the Dutch colonial era, in 1921–1924. The Ministry of Forestry declared the park on 29 April 2004 with an area of about 108,000 hectares.

In 2012 the area was cut after a Supreme Court ruling on a challenge by the mining company PT Sorikmas Mining. After the boundaries were marked out, the park was confirmed in 2014 at 72,803.75 hectares. It is surrounded by 68 villages in 13 districts.

Mandailing communities have long protected forest and water through customary rules: lubuk larangan (river pools where fishing is restricted) and harangan rarangan (forbidden forest that must not be cleared). That tradition was one of the reasons the park was created.

What to see

• Sorik Marapi volcanoActive, 2,145 m, with a crater lake. At alert level II since April 2026; the climb is closed.
• Sibanggor JuluA village of stilt houses with palm-fibre roofs, hot springs and a warm waterfall.
• Lake Saba BeguA small, quiet forest lake at Sopotinjak with Sorik Marapi behind it.
• Pastap Julu waterfallsTwo waterfalls, 10 and 35 metres, two hours' walk up the river.
• Wildlife47 mammal species, including Sumatran tiger and Malayan tapir, and 247 bird species.
• PlantsRafflesia, 55 orchid species, pitcher plants and corpse flowers.

Before you go

The nearest town is Panyabungan, the regency capital. From there most sites are 45 minutes to an hour by road, followed by a walk. Getting to Panyabungan, permits and safety are covered in the visitor guide.

If your trip continues to Bali or Java, see the guides to places in Indonesia on Belka Travel: temples, waterfalls, beaches and volcanoes such as Bromo and Batur.