'' Nanda Devi National Park is situated in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The spectacular panoramas of peaks encircling the National Park are Trishul (7120 m) Dunagiri (7066 m) Nanda Devi (7817 m) Nanda Devi East (7430 m) Bethartoli (6352 m) etc.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 1988 along with Valley of Flowers, Nanda Devi National Park extending between 2,400 to 6,817 meters was established to protect high altitude flora and fauna in 1980 and covers 630.33 square kilometers area in Chamoli district of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand.
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Nanda Devi National park is divided into two parts as inner and outer. The inner part houses north Rishi glacier, south Rishi glacier, north Nanda Devi glacier and south Nanda Devi glacier while Trisul and Ramani glacier are covered in the outer sanctuary of Nanda Devi National Park.
Besides the Himalayan valleys and lush greenery, visitors can see animals including snow leopards, Himalayan black-bear, Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan tahr and many more.
Attractions in Nanda Devi National Park
The park is also an ideal place for bird watchers. About 100 species of birds have made the park their home. Birds including orange-flanked bush robin, Indian tree pipit, blue-fronted redstart are seen more often. The park is also home to several species of butterflies, 312 species of flowers including juniper and alpine vegetation.The park is divided into two parts -- Inner and Outer. The Upper Rishi Valley, often referred to as the Inner Sanctuary is fed by Changbang, North Rishi and North Nanda Devi glaciers. The Trisuli and Ramani glaciers are features of the Outer Sanctuary.
Trekking is the most popular activity in the national park. The trek begins from the Lata village to Dharasi (4250 mt) - the highest point of the region. In 1982, access to trekkers was banned to protect the biodiversity. However recently, tourists in small numbers are allowed to visit the park.
Best Time to Visit Nanda Devi National Park
Being in the high altitudes, Nanda Devi National Park has a distinct climate. For six months of the year, the region remains under a snow cover. For the rest of the year, the region has a dry climate with heavy rainfall from June to August. April to June are the months when the temperature increases a bit and they are the months when one can visit this place.
How to Reach there
Air: The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant at Dehradun at a distance of around 295 km from the Nanda Devi National Park. There are regular flights to Delhi from this airport.
Rail: The nearest railhead is Rishikesh at a distance of 276 km. Rishikesh is approachable by a metalled road from Joshimath.
Road: Metalled roads are there till Joshimath from where one has to trek to reach this place. The place is inaccessible for six months of the year and it is only in summers that treks to this region can be organised.