The Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve, situated about 88 km from Coimbatore, finds itself at the joining of the Eastern and Western Ghats. This ensures that its flora and fauna is extremely diverse. Apart from tigers, it is popular for elephant, gaur, black buck, four horned antelope, leopard, hyena, and wild dog sightings. As for vegetation, the reserve boasts deciduous forests, combined with thorn forests, tropical hill forest and riparian forest land. Sandalwood trees are a common find here. Sathyamangalam was declared a tiger reserve in 2013 for the amount of effort officials put in to conserve this endangered species. About 54 tigers are believed to call the reserve their home. Some parts of the forest are approachable through Sathyamangalam-Dhimbum ghat road, which has 27 hair-pin bends that make the drive a thrilling experience.

Evidences of forests and wildlife of Sathyamangalam forest area and its early history have been found in Tamil Literature, which dates back to Sangam age. It is said that the area was ruled by many rulers, among whom Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysuru in the 17th century, was the most important. He is said to have laid two chief routes to Kongu country through the forests of Sathyamangalam. He also elevated the status of sandal to a royal tree and gave importance to forest protection.