Great Himalayan National Park
The highest mountain ranges in the world and geologically speaking, the youngest, the Himalayas offer some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world. Among the high altitude wildlife reserves of the Himalayas comes the Great Himalayan National Park, located in the beautiful district of Kullu.
The Untouched Bio-diversity
The 765-sq-km area has temperate forests – some of the virgin coniferous forests of the state. Vast areas of alpine pastures and glaciers cap this park. The park area is the largest protected area in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The Park consists of the upper catchment areas of the Tirthan, Sainj, Parvati, and Jiwa Nala, flowing East to West and mingling into the Beas river. The bewitching scenic beauty of the Park is a complement to its biological richness.
Fauna In The Great Himalayan National Park
Among the animals found in this part of the Western Himalayas are Musk Deer, Ghoral, Thar, Bharal, Serow, Brown Bear, Leopard, and Snow Leopard. Birdlife includes a variety of colorful Pheasants- Monal, Khalij, Cheer, and Tragopan.
A trek through the park to Raktesar, the origin of the Sainj River, and camping amid alpine pastures is a memorable experience.
Visiting Season
The best seasons for visiting the park are summer from April to June and autumn from September to November. The relatively high density of wildlife in the area assures the visitors of sighting the Monal, Western Tragopan, Musk Deer, Goral, Bharal, and the Himalayan Thar. The rainy season from July to August and the winter season from December to March are not advisable periods to visit the park, as excessive damage to the road network and other inconveniences to the visitor are unavoidable.
The best seasons for visiting the park are summer from April to June and autumn from September to November. The relatively high density of wildlife in the area assures the visitors of sighting the Monal, Western Tragopan, Musk Deer, Goral, Bharal, and the Himalayan Thar. The rainy season from July to August and the winter season from December to March are not advisable periods to visit the park, as excessive damage to the road network and other inconveniences to the visitor are unavoidable.
How To Get There
Air: The airport at Bhuntar is 10-km from Kullu, where taxis and buses are available.
Rail: The closest narrow gauge railhead is at Jogindernagar, 95-km from Kullu.
Road: To get to the Great National Himalayan Park one has to take the eastern divergence at Aut on the Kullu- Manali highway. Aut is 45-km from Mandi and 30-km from Kullu. From Largi which is 4-km from Aut, two routes, one along the Sainj Nala, motorable till Neuli (26-km) and the other along Tirthan Nala, motorable up to Gushaini (28-km) lead to the park. The rest of the park has to be covered on foot as no mule or horse transport is allowed.
Entry Inside The Great Himalayan National Park:
Entry to this protected region is by permits, which can be obtained, either from the Director’s Headquarter at Shamshi or from the range officers stationed at Sairopa, Banjar, and Sainj. Guides are provided by the authorities and a token fee is charged as an entry fee. The undulating terrain serves the purpose of vantage points for observing and photographing wildlife.
