Key Highlights
- Located in Jammu & Kashmir, 40 km from Kishtwar town.
- Declared a national park in 1981 to protect diverse ecosystems.
- Encompasses 2,190.50 km² with elevations ranging from 1,700 to 4,800 meters.
- Home to rare species such as snow leopards, brown bears, and Himalayan snowcocks.
- Features alpine meadows, glacial streams, and dense coniferous forests.
Detailed Insights
Geographic Setting – The park sits in the Great Himalayan belt, 40 kilometres from the town of Kishtwar in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Its rugged terrain is marked by deep valleys, steep ridges, and a network of glaciers that feed the Kiar, Nath, and Kibar streams, which eventually merge into the Chenab River.
Historical Context – Officially established on 4 February 1981, the park was created to safeguard the region’s forests, rivers, mountains, and the wildlife that thrive there.
Area and Altitude – Covering 2,190.50 square kilometres, the park’s altitude ranges from 1,700 metres to 4,800 metres above sea level, creating a mosaic of ecological zones.
Vegetation Zones – At 2,400–3,000 m the canopy is dominated by silver fir, spruce, deodar, and blue pine; 1,700–2,400 m hosts cedar, blue pine, horse chestnut, walnut, maple, poplar, and ash; 3,000–3,700 m is characterised by silver fir and birch; above 3,700 m the landscape shifts to alpine meadows and rhododendron thickets.
Faunal Diversity – The park shelters a range of endangered mammals and birds, including snow leopards, brown bears, Himalayan snowcocks, musk deer, monals, and wild goats, which occupy the forests, grasslands, and mountain slopes.