The beautiful lush green hills and the ever calm gently flowing rivers of Himachal Pradesh is also a proud host to many Wildlife sanctuaries. National parks in Himachal Pradesh have a lot to offer. For all those enthusiasts, here is one more reason to travel to the Himalayas. The Himalayas was listed under ‘exceptional natural beauty and conservation of biological diversity by UNESCO in the year 2014. The forests of Himachal offer wonderful sights for you to see the untampered and wild side of the animals thus leaving you with the most exciting experience. The place has always been of interest to all the trekkers and adventure lovers alike to experience the raw side of the Indian animals it houses. Take a look at some of the Wildlife Sanctuaries in Himachal Pradesh that you need to include in your list right away.
Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks in Himachal Pradesh:
Exploring the wildlife is totally a new level of adventure. For those of you hoping to see some exotic animals on your trek or visit Himachal, here We have listed down the 3 most interesting parks of the place you sure cannot miss.
1. Great Himalayan National Park:
The Great Himalayan National Park is situated 75kms from Kullu. It is accredited as one of the best National Parks in India and is home to more than 375 species of fauna and roughly about 31 species of mammals, and 180 birds. The most commonly spotted animals are Himalayan griffon vultures, eagle, Himalayan Brown bear, snow leopard, blue sheep, Himalayan tahr, musk deer. There are also more than 15,000 residents, which includes about 160 villages that lie in the buffer zone here and depend on the natural resources of the park. The park is accessible only by trekking and it has four main entrances, Gushaini is the main entrance and Barshaini is the preferred trekking point to access the park. The best way to enjoy the whole journey is by trekking.
When Should You Visit: April to June and September-October is the best time. Avoid the monsoon time. The park charges 50 INR for Indians and 200 for foreign nationals.
How to Reach: The best way to reach is by trekking. Start from Barshaini and trek up to Pin Parvati valley.
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2. Pin Valley National Park:
This national park is situated about 250kms from Shimla. It is located in the Spiti district and this is probably the most beautiful trek in the Himachal State. It stretches over 1150 square feet and its elevation ranges from 3500m near Ka Dogri to 6000m at the highest point. Despite the high altitude, the park still houses about 400 species of plants that include medicinal herbs and spices. It also has pika, snow cock, bearded vulture, red fox, marten, Siberian Ibex etc. It is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
When Should You Visit: July to October is the best time to visit the park.
How to Reach: Kaza is the nearest town to the park and it also has accommodation facilities for the tourists. You can reach Kaza from Bhuntar airport and take a bus to reach the place. Joginder Nagar is the nearest railway station, about 350kms away.
3. Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary:
This sanctuary is located in the Chamba district and its altitude varies from 3910 to 9164 feet. It is often a popularly preferred location in Dalhousie. The park has dense oak forest, deodar and blue pine. It also has Barking Goral, leopard, bear, jackal, Himalayan black Marten and Serow are some of the popularly spotted animals. Eurasian Jay, Chestnut billed rock thrush, white-winged blackbird etc. are some of the bird species you will find here.
When Should You Visit: March to May and September to November is the best time to visit the sanctuary.
How to Reach: The wildlife sanctuary is only 10kms from Dalhousie and so you will find a lot of local buses which will take you here. You can also hire a cab. Pathankot is the nearest railway station to Dalhousie and Gaggal airport in Kangra is the nearest airport, about 13kms away.
Read: Top Himachal Pradesh Tourist Places to Visit
Do’s and Don’t s While Visit National Parks in Himachal Pradesh:
Check out these additional tips to know what you should do and should avoid doing when in the national parks and wildlife zones:
- Always make sure you are well informed about the place by talking to a Forest Ranger
- Visit the visitor centre to know what places to avoid in the national park to prevent dangers.
- Always plan your trip in advance to avoid calamities
- Never ignore the warning signs
- Don’t meddle with animals and stay at a safe distance from them
- Never feed the animals or try to get too close to them
- Look out for animals like bears which can smell food
- Always carry proper supplies like medicines
- Do not smoke or leave unattended fires in the national park zones
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If you thought the Himalayas was only about trekking and sightseeing, exploring the national parks will change your opinion. Get ready to explore the untamed and free spirted animals. Watch out and make sure you always go in a gang. Remember to put safety first!
