Great Himalayan National Park

History

Great Himalayan National Park, GHNP in short, is located in Western Himalayas, in Kullu district in the beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh. The dense and scenic forest cover of GNHP, with thousands of flora and fauna species, makes the region a hugely preferred tourist interest place. 

Way back in the year 1984, the Park was administratively constituted by the Government of India. After about a period of 15 years, the area was awarded the formal status of a National Park, in 1999. It is one of the most coveted wildlife reserves in an extensive network of Natural Parks spread across Western Himalayas. 

In 2011, a formal application from the administration of GHNP was submitted to the UNESCO, requesting the reserve to be declared as a World Heritage Site. After 3 years, in 2014, UNESCO declared The Great Himalayan National Park as a World Heritage Site, bringing it under an elite list of National Parks. 

Useful Information

Total area – 1171 sq km

Core area – 754.4 sq km

Elevation range – 1700 meters to 5800 meters

Latitude – N 31°38’28” to N 31°54’58” 

Longitude – E 77° 20’11” to E 77°45’00” 

Nearest river – Jiwanal, Sainj, Tirthan, Parvati    

Nearby hills – Lambri Hills   

Avg. annual rainfall – Moderate levels (with a recent maximum of 1298 mm) 

Flora of Great Himalayan National Park

As far as flora species of Great Himalayan National Park is concerned, there are lots of endemic species of plants and trees in the area. Some of them are rarest of rare, considering the biodiversity of the Park. The beautiful spectrum of flora species of the region would captivate you. You would be totally immersed in the magnificence of wild flowers, bushes, scrubs and huge trees, Great Himalayan holiday packages. 

In the undisturbed habitats of the Park, you could easily spot pinesand spruces. Moreover, the area is significantly marked by a spread of horse chestnuts. The valleys of the Park are full with these trees. The dense cushions of various alpine herbs are other plants abundant in the region. There are also lovely junipers in the Park. A portion of the Park falls under the subalpine zone. Accordingly, it has plants and trees signature to such characteristics. The diversity of plants in the Park becomes richer as you scale it altitude-wise, in your Great Himalayan tour packages. 

Fauna of Great Himalayan National Park

You would be sweetly amazed to know the Park has a whopping 375 species of fauna in its periphery and precincts, most of which you can witness in your Great Himalayan wildlife packages. There are 31 distinct species of mammals. There is more than a hundred species of birds. Till now, about 127 different species of insects present in the Park have been documented, too. There are 11 species of annelids and 9 amphibian species, in the lovely natural habitats of the region. 

The whole area of the Great Himalayan National Park falls under the strict administrative protection of the concerned authorities, as per the Wildlife Act of 1972. There are some engrossing trails for trekking that let you take a glimpse of some wonderful fauna species, even while availing Great Himalayan adventure packages. The nature of the species changes as you scale the altitude of the Park, with changing natural environments and habitats. 

You could spot the rare blue sheep at higher altitudes, if you are lucky in one of your Great Himalayan sightseeing packages. Don’t forget to take a photograph of the animal. If you are really fortunate then you could also spot snow leopards and the magnificent browns bears of the Himalayas in the contours of rockier valleys. 

Yet another interesting faunal species you can spot in Great Himalayan National Park is the wonderful Musk deer, which is a common animal in the forest lands at the foothills of Western Himalayas. The Park has Himalayan tahr, too. 

Climate 

The climate of the Park is very typical of the general weather conditions of Western Himalayas. The Park has four seasons, and all of them are well-defined. The spring season starts from April and lasts till June. Then monsoons begin from July and end at September. The starting weeks of October mark the beginning of autumn season, which continues till November-end. From December to the end of March, it is winter in the Park. 

The precipitation is at moderate levels throughout the year. During monsoons, the rainfall is heavy. In recent years, the highest recorded annual rainfall measure was 1298 mm. You can expect to be caught with some snowfall when you travel during winter, especially at apparently lower elevations of the region. As you gradually move higher, there could be heavy snowfall during the winter months. 

The temperatures have a wide range in these parts of Western Himalayas. For example, during daytime in summer months, the highest temperature can reach to the point of 40 degree Celsius, especially in June. On the other hand, during winter months, the lower temperature can dip to the level of -10 degree Celsius, at higher altitudes of the National Park, in January. 

Best Time to Visit Great Himalayan National Park

As an enthusiastic tourist, you should also have some useful information about the best time to visit the Great Himalayan National Park. The common recommendation is to travel in autumn. It means you need to plan the tour in the months of October and November, availing Great Himalayan affordable packages. The weather would be perfectly suitable to nicely roan across the different regions of the Park. You would find it very comfortable to tour the region. Moreover, when you travel during this time utilizing the provisions of the best Great Himalayan family packages, there are huge chances to spot most of the exotic faunal species of the Park. 

If you are more interested to witness the floral beauty of the region, then a good time to travel is in the spring months, after March, and before mid-May. You would witness a wide range of wildflowers blooming at each and every corner of the vast terrain, adding to the scenic beauty of the region. 

How to Reach Great Himalayan National Park

Reaching GHNP and enjoying Great Himalayan safari tours is easy, and you can either choose the option of railways, or a vehicle on road to reach the spot. There is also a small airport not far away from the Park. A few details are shared in the following points. 

By Rail: If you wish to reach the place via train, then you have to buy tickets for Joginder Nagar station, close to the Park. You can reach Joginder Nagar from Pathankot. You can also take a train from New Delhi, or Amritsar. After reaching the small station, you can rent a car to the Park, at reasonable rates, without any problem. 

By Road: There are multiple options to reach Great Himalayan National Park on road. If you love lengthy road trips, then you can directly drive from New Delhi, or Shimla. You can also book a car from Amritsar of Pathankot. There are several private car services plying on numerous routes to the Park. You can compare the rates and service features, and then decide to spend money on one of them. 

By Air: Some of you from nearby states and especially far-off states would prefer to reach the Park quickly availing Great Himalayan weekend tour packages, without wasting much time. For tourists like you, traveling by air is the best available option. You can take a plane from New Delhi to Bhunter, the nearest airport to the Park. You can also take a plane from Chandigarh to Bhunter. The New Delhi and Chandigarh airports are well-connected to all major Indian cities by air. 

Connectivity & Distances

Distance from entry gate: Negligible  

Railway station: Joginder Nagar 

Bus Stand: Joginder Nagar Bus Stand 

Airport: Bhunter Airport (Kullu Airport) 

Nearest city/town: Bhunter  

Places To Visit Near Great Himalayan National Park

The Great Himalayan National Park is located at a beautiful spot in Himachal Pradesh, from where you can travel to several other lovely destinations, nearby. While planning your Great Himalayan National Park itinerary, you can refer to the list below; in order to nicely prioritize the locations you want to visit, while you are enriching your travel plan to the Great Himalayan National Park. 

Sainj Valley – Himachal Pradesh is a land of valleys, and Kullu district, where the location of the Park is, is well-known for its emphatic range of scintillatingly beautiful valleys. In recent years, tourists from all over India have been flocking at the Sainj Valley, and it is among the top priorities in the list of tourist spots. 

Banjaar Valley – It is yet another fascinatingly scenic valley that you can visit on a weekend getaway tour from the Park, adding more value to your itinerary. There is the famous temple of Shiranga Rishi, located in this valley. Also, you could visit the historic Chaihani Fort here. 

Tirthan Valley – This is arguably the most beautiful of all valleys in the vicinity of the Park. It is marked by the flowing of the emphatic Tirthan stream, which is said to be originated from the imposing Hanskund Peak at 4800 meters of altitude level. It is a part of the lovely Rohla terrain. 

Larji - The best time to visit the locale of Larji is during months in between March and October, on a weekend trip. Many term it as the Angler’s Paradise. The mesmerizing beauty of the place would win your heart.