Corbett National Park
Corbett National Park is situated in the picturesque Kumaon hills in Nainital district, Corbett National Park is the place from where Project Tiger was launched in 1973.The park has a core area of 520 sq. km with picturesque hilly ridges covered by Sal trees. Lower down are the grasslands and bamboo growth. A list of species reported from Corbett included 582 species of birds, 26 species of reptiles, 7 species of amphibians and 50 species of mammals. The floral diversity is also extremely varied.
The Park is named after the famous hunter and naturalist, Jim Corbett, who popularised this land. Always a nature lover, he helped set up a sanctuary called Hailey Park in 1936. Eventually, an all India initiative for the protection of the Tiger was launched from here. The park has a high density of tiger population.
|
The Kedarnath Sanctuary
The Kedarnath Sanctuary was founded in 1972 on 967 sq. km of the Garhwal Himalayas. The wonderful stretch of the Himalayas command a magnificent view of mountains and valleys, forests and grasslands, exotic butterflies and flowers. The Garhwal Himalayas contain some of the highest peaks in India. It is the source of the great Ganga and Yamuna rivers, houses the sacred Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines as well as forest reserves. Some of the interesting residents of the sanctuary are the snow leopard, leopard, snow cock and musk deer. Khaleej and monal pheasants are some of the feathered inhabitants.
Flowers National Park
The Valley of Flowers National Park is above Gangria in the upper reaches of the Bhyundar Ganga in the Zaskar Range of the Garhwal Himalaya, Chamoli District. Bounded by high mountain ridges and peaks on all sides, 8,950 ha of land were declared a national park with effect from September 1982.It is a 5 km trek from Ghangria, which is 13 km from the road head at Govindghat, between Joshimath and Badrinath.
At an altitude ranging from 3,350 m to the peak of Gauri Parbat at 6,719 m, the Valley of Flowers is essentially the catchments area of the Pushpawati River, which is known as the Bhyundar Ganga, downstream of Ghangria. It consists of a glacial corridor, 7 km long and 2 km wide, with it's source in the Tipra Glacier that descends from Gauri Parbat. A wall of steep cliffs rises 2,000 m from the valley floor on the north side, while the terrain slopes less precipitously to the south. Being protected from the cold, dry winds from Tibet to the north and partly shielded from the full effects of the monsoon to the south, it has a distinctive climate. In the monsoon, mornings are often clear, but as the day progresses, clouds gather. The valley is snowbound from November to May.
Govind Wildlife Sanctuary
The trek starts from Gaurikumd, Where one can have a refreshing bath in the hot water sulphur springs. The trek from Gaurikund to Rambara winds along the river Mandakini forest and across beautiful waterfalls. The trek from Kedarnath to Vasuki Tal is a continuous Ascent along a goat track and it offers a panoramic view Of Chaukhamba peaks. The final trek to Vasuki Tal is Downhill for 1 km. At the bottom of this, one can see Rectangular slabs of rocks.
Best Season: May - Sept.