National Parks In Uttarakhand

National parks play an essential role in conserving the natural environment, which is scarce in today’s day and age. With the growing urbanisation, we often feel the need to take some time out to head to a place untouched by all the noise and pollution. A national park can be one such place. But before one decides to head out to the wild, a few things need to be kept in mind as these are protected areas, and certain things might be entirely new for the adventurers. National parks in Uttarakhand have a beautiful landscape and varied flora and fauna that one should discover for themselves. In this article, the focus will be on the national parks of Uttarakhand and their significance. 

Here’s a list of some significant and prominent national parks in Uttarakhand that one needs to know about. 

• Nanda Devi National Park 

Established in 1982, the Nanda Devi National Park was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988 and was later renamed and expanded as Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks in 2005. The Nanda Devi National Park is located around the peak of Nanda Devi. Some parts of it are allowed to be entered only for ecotourism and are a control site for maintaining the natural environment. During British rule, the site had seen several failed-exploration attempts, with just one successful attempt by H.W. Tilman and Eric Shipton in 1934. They got through the Rishi Ganga post and declared a game sanctuary. To reach the Nanda Devi National Park, one has to trek from Lata Village after driving Rishi to Joshimath. 

• Jim Corbett National Park

Located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park is famous for its tiger population and was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative. The national park has hilly areas, riverine belts, and grasslands and has sub-Himalayan-belt geographical and ecological characteristics with dense and moist forests. The flora and fauna of this national park include over 110 species of trees and hundreds of species of mammals and reptiles. Besides sheltering tigers, it also shelters elephants, buffalos, leopards, and migratory birds. The Ramganga river flowing through the reserved forest provides a convenient and abundant environment for its flora and fauna. 

• Valley of Flowers National Park

Valley of Flowers National Park is the extended part of the Nanda Devi National Park. Together, they are encompassed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere reserve and create a transition zone between the mountain ranges of Zanskar and Great Himalaya over an expanse of 87.5 square kilometres. The Valley of Flowers national park lives up to its name. It is known for its exotic flowers like orchids, poppies, daisies, marigolds, Primula, and several others that stretch across the valleys and are one of Uttarakhand’s significant attractions. The park is located in the Chamoli district and can be trekked from Govind Ghat. 

• Raja Ji National Park

The RajaJi National Park is known for its tiger population and has also been granted the status of a tiger reserve, which would make it the second tiger reserve in the state of Uttarakhand. It encompasses the Shivaliks, which is located near the foothills of the Himalayan range and spreads over 820 kilometres, including the three districts of the state – Dehradun, Haridwar, and Pauri Garhwal. The national park can be accessed by road and is the result of merging three wildlife sanctuaries – Rajaji, Motichur, and Chilla in 1983 and is the 48th Tiger Reserve of India to be declared one.

• Gangotri National Park

The Gangotri National Park consists of snow leopards, Asian Black Bear, brown bear, Himalayan Tahr, over 150 species of birds, and several others as part of its wildlife. The park is located in the Uttarkashi District of Uttarakhand and got its name from the Gangotri glacier and harbours Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests in the lower elevation of the park. The best time to go to the park is around the typical Indian summer months, from April to October, when tourism is at its peak. 

• Govind Pashu Vihar National Park

The Govind Pashu Vihar National Park was first a wildlife sanctuary and was converted to a national park and established in 1955. The park is managing the Snow Leopard Project by the Indian government and conserving the Bearded vulture of the Himalayas as it lies in the higher reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas. 

Conclusion

With the growing urbanisation and deforestation, conserving and preserving the natural environment with its native flora and fauna is of utmost importance. We must not forget that the wild areas around us are not only important for the wildlife and humans and every creature living on this planet. National parks in Uttarakhand are not only a great getaway from the wear and tear of daily lives but also play the role of conserving flora and fauna of Uttarakhand and educating people on its wildlife at the same time.