The Great Himalayan National Park, known as GHNP in short, is a beautiful National Park located in the Kullu region in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is under the tourism depart of the State Government of Himachal Pradesh. Each year, thousands of tourists visit the park, enjoying its captivating biodiversity.
Great Himalayan National Park Was Built by
The Government of Himachal Pradesh is the main architect of GHNP. It did an initial survey of the specific forest lands in the Kullu district in the early eighties. After going through a series of administrative procedures, the area was marked and finally given the status of a National Park.
Best time to visit great himalayan national park
If you plan to visit and explore the beauty of GHNP, then it is crucial to have details about its timings. The entry gate of the Park opens for the tourists at 10 AM each day. The park closes at 5:30 PM for the tourists. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to thoroughly explore the major parts of the park.
Information on The Great Himalayan National Park
It is incredibly engrossing to witness the fascinating flora and fauna species of GHNP. The altitude of the park varies from 3300 meters to 4000 meters. A major portion of the park is marked by subtropical vegetation.
Roaming around the park would reveal beautiful chestnut and evergreen oak trees. You would also come across abundant deodar trees in many areas of the park. There are also spruce trees in various parts of the area. Fir trees could mainly be witnessed in the temperate zones at the upper altitudes.
The area of GHNP where there is predominant coniferous vegetation, you could witness several chir trees. There are also numerous blue pines in these parts of the park. An exclusive variety of oak – the kharsu oak, is also found here. The fir forests of GHNP have Himalayan Yew in abundance.
Besides numerous huge trees, GHNP also has plenty of shrubberies, herbal bushes and other medicinal plants, growing across the length and breadth of the park. The wide range of these plants would really baffle you. From true indigo, honeysuckle, tick clover to buckthorn, there are lots of such plants in GHNP.
You would be absolutely stunned by the sheer varieties of fauna species found in GHNP. One of the prominent animals in the park is the common leopard. If you are lucky enough, then you can also spot a snow leopard at higher altitudes. There are also leopard cars and palm civets living in specific regions of the park.
GHNP is home to many other species of animals, such as Himalayan serows and red foxes. You can also spot the exotic and rare Himalayan Ibex at the mountainous terrains of the park. Himalayan Tahrs and musk deer are other prominent animals of the GHNP forests.
The wonderful park is also home to a huge number of avian species. You can see Griffon vultures here. Also, spotting Grey-backed shrikes is also possible. You can see Cheer Pheasants and Chukars. Horned Larks, Common Kestrels and Monals are also distinguished residents of GHNP.
There are also several types of butterflies found in the park. Here, you can see the exotic white-bordered copper butterflies. You can also spot the Kashmir Arrowhead Blackvein butterflies. There are other varieties of butterflies such as Himalayan Pale Hedge Blue and Glassy Blue Bottle.
Great Himalayan National Park Location
Reaching GHNP is quite easy. You can take flights or book train tickets or even consider a road trip to reach the destination. The mode of transport you choose depends on the budget you have, your adventurous spirits, your current location, the time you want to spend in touring, etc.
If you stay more than 500-600 km away from Kullu, then you can take a flight to Delhi or Dehradun. From there, you have to hire a private car or take a private bus. There are also public buses plying from these places to Kullu.
If you are interested to travel by train, then you can reach Shimla from Delhi by reserving train ticket. Traveling from Punjab, Rajasthan or any other state is easy when you take train to Delhi, and then continue your journey from there. You can also take a train to Dharamshala.
A road trip is undoubtedly a fascinating idea. There are 4 major places from where you can travel to GHNP by road. One of those is Delhi. The other city is Dharamshala, where it would take about 7 hours by road. You can also travel from Shimla. Manali is the closest major town to GHNP in Kullu.
Great Himalayan National Park Entry Fee
Th entrance fee at GHNP is Rs 50/- per adult. This charge is according to the recently revised rate. For a child below 8 years of age, the entrance fee is Rs 20/-. You can buy entry tickets at the counter at the entrance.
Important Structures in Great Himalayan National Park
An important structure in the vicinity of GHNP is Van Vihar. There is also an Information Center within the premises of the park. Moreover, there is a well-equipped library in the area.
Best time to visit Great Himalayan National Park
The best time to visit the park is the period in between April and September. The park is closed during the winter months to the tourists, due to extreme cold temperatures. It is spring in park in the month of April. The summer season is cool and comfortable. The temperatures are in mid–twenties during daytime. You would feel it immensely suitable exploring the various parts of the Park. From July to September, the Park receives a fair amount of rainfall. But, it is not something to be bothered about in your tour. Try to plan a few months ahead if you have an intention to visit GHNP.
History of Great Himalayan National Park
GHNP was created in the year 1999, under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. In the year 2014, GHNP was officially declared as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Attractions nearby Great Himalayan National Park
There are many lovely places in the vicinity of GHNP where you can visit. The Mantalai Lake and the Sirikhand Mahadev Lake are two such places. You can also visit the Pin Valley National Park. Traveling on a rented private car is an intelligent way to explore the areas around the park.
