Location: Northeastern Garhwal and Kumaon, Uttaranchal
Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport (295 km), Dehradun
Nearest Town: Joshimath
Nearest Railway Station: Rishikesh (276 km)
Safari: The Nanda Devi National Park can be only traversed by foot.
Entry Fee: Rs.40 for Indian Citizen and Rs. 150 for foreigners. Separate charges for camera and professional video film.
Best Time to Visit: April-October.
Number of Floral Species: 312 and out of which 17 are considered rare.
Number of Animal Species: 80
Wildlife: Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan black bear, Bharal, brown bear,snow leopard, serow, leopard, Himalayan Tahr and common langur dominate the area of the park. Ruby throat, grosbeaks, rose finches and warblers represent the avifauna here.
The Nanda Devi National Park is situated near the Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain peak of India. The national park has some of the unique high altitude flora and fauna in the world. The park offers breathtaking sceneries, wooded environment and richness of biosphere. UNESCO has declared the Nanda Devi Biosphere as a World Heritage Site.
The Nanda Devi National Park is located in the upper Himalayan ranges of the Chamoli district in the Garhwal division in the state of Uttaranchal. The park extends from the latitude 30°24' in the North to the longitude 79°53' in the East. The entry to the park is from the Lata village, which is at a distance of 23 km from Joshimath.
W.W. Graham was the first person to access to this region as early as in 1883. No impact was created by the expedition of W.W. Graham. In 1936, Tilman and N.E. Odell scaled the Nanda Devi once again and made the way for others to follow. The region became a Game Sanctuary in 1939.
The sanctuary was disturbed since 1950s when organized expeditions for Nanda Devi started taking place. The Government of India declared this area as a National Park in 1982. Later it was awarded the special status of a Biosphere Reserve.
There are more than 300 floral species in Nanda Devi National Park. This park is mostly dominated by rhododendron and trees of fir. The main vegetation growth in the forests is of fir, birch, rhododendron and juniper. The conditions are drier in the inner part of the sanctuary. There is almost no vegetation ear the Nanda Devi Glacier.
The vegetation changes to alpine from the place called Ramnani and only juniper scrubs dominate the vegetal growth. This type of vegetation gradually gives way to grasses, prone mosses and lichens. There are around 312 floral species found in this national park out of which around 17 are considered rare.
Bharal, Brown Bear, Common Langur, Goral, Himalayan Tahr, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Musk Deer, Leopard, Serow and Snow Leopard are the most common faunal population of species that are found in this park.
The avifaunas found in this national park are the Grosbeaks, Rose Finches, Ruby Throat and Warblers. Approximately 80 animal species have been spotted in this park.
While on a visit to the Nanda Devi National Park, you can go on excursion tour to the nearby places. One can go to Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib and Valley of Flowers from the national park. The hill stations to visit are Chopta, Tungnath and Auli.
The Nanda Devi National Park experiences cold weather for major part of the year as it is at a very high altitude. For almost six months of the year, the region remains under perpetual snow. The rest of the months experiences pleasant climate. The region receives heavy rainfall from June to August. The tourists should carry light woolens during summers and heavy woolens during the winters.
The best time to visit the Nanda Devi National Park is from April to October.
Entry Fee: The entry fee is Rs.40 for Indian citizen for first three days and Rs.150 for foreigners. Also, Rs. 25 for Indian citizen and Rs.150 for foreigners are charged for additional three days. There separate charges for using camera or making any professional video film.
Safari: Special permits are required as the park can only be traversed by foot. Joshimath is an important point for planning any trip to the park. You can also approach Hemkund Sahib, Badrinath and Valley of Flowers from the other higher altitudes in the Garhwal Himalayas.
The nearest airport to the Nanda Devi National Park is the Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun. It is at a distance of 295 km from the national park. There are flights connecting Dehradun with Delhi. The nearest railway station to the Nanda Devi National Park is at Rishikesh, which is at a distance of 276 km.
The roads connect Joshimath to other towns of Uttaranchal like Dehradun, Rishikesh and Haridwar. One has to trek till the national Park from Joshimath.
Comfortable facilities are available at Joshimath as there is no provision for accommodation in the park area. There are many lodges, hotels and guesthouses.
STD/ISD and postal facilities are available at Joshimath. Internet facilities are available either at Dehradun or Haridwar.
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