Himachal Pradesh National Parks

There are 5 National Parks, 3 Ramsar Sites, and more than 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries in Himachal Pradesh.
List of National Parks in Himachal Pradesh:
1. Great Himalayan National Park (Kullu)
2. Pin Valley National Park (Lahaul & Spiti)
3. Inderkilla National Park (Kullu)
4. Khirganga National Park (Kullu)
5. Simbalbara National Park (Sirmaur)
Great Himalayan National Park is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Himachal Pradesh.
Pin Valley is in the cold desert zone.

Great Himalayan National Park

Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is located on the Kullu Valley (formed by Beas River).
It is at the junction of the world’s two major biogeographic realms: the Indomalayan realm to the south and the Palearctic realm to the north.
It was constituted in 1984 and was formally notified as a national park in 1999.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Topography: The park is a stunning mix of lush coniferous forests, meadows, glaciers and mountain peaks.
Vegetation: Ranges from temperate to subalpine.
Major Flora: Spruces, horse chestnuts, alpine meadows.
Major Fauna: Bharal (blue sheep), snow leopard (VU), Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan tahr.
The boundaries of GHNP are also contiguous with: the Pin Valley National Park in the Trans-Himalaya range, the Rupi Bhabha Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sutlej watershed and the Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary in Parvati valley.
The four sub-watersheds (the Tirthan, Sainj, Jiwa Nal, and Parvati river) get their water from glaciers as well as runoff from the forests of the GHNP.

Inderkilla National Park

Inderkilla National Park is located on the Kullu Valley (formed by Beas River), the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
Beas River passes through Inderkilla National Park. It is a major source of water for wildlife in the park.
Major Fauna: Black bear, common leopard, Himalayan Ibex (Siberian Ibex).
Functions as part of a contiguous forest ecosystem with:
- Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP)
- Khirganga National Park
- Sainj and Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuaries
Elevation range supports temperate to alpine ecosystems.

Khirganga National Park

Khirganga National Park is located on the Kullu Valley (formed by Beas River).
Lies in the Parvati Valley (Parvati River basin), famous for trekking and hot springs.
Located near Manikaran Sahib and adjacent to Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) and Inderkilla National Park.
Vegetation: Dry alpine and scrub.
Major Fauna: Snow Leopard, Himalayan Ibex, bharal (blue sheep), Himalayan Brown Fox.

Pin Valley National Park

Pin Valley National Park is located in the Spiti Valley within Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
It lies within Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in the Himalayan region.
Pin River is a tributary of Spiti River (a tributary of Sutlej).
Bordered by:
- Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in the south
- Rupi-Bhaba WLS in the west
Vegetation: Mostly alpine trees.
Major Fauna: Snow Leopard, Himalayan (Siberian) Ibex.
The area is inhabited by Tibetan Buddhist communities.
- Home to monasteries (Gompas) like Kungri Monastery.

Simbalbara National Park

Simbalbara National Park is located in the Paonta Valley of Sirmour District, Himachal Pradesh, along its border with Haryana.
It is also known as Col. Sher Jung National Park.
Adjacent to Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary (Haryana), forming a trans-boundary forest corridor.
The Simbalbara National Park area is situated in the foothills of the Shivalik range, which is influenced by the Yamuna River.
Vegetation: Dense Sal forests with grassy glades.
Major Fauna: Leopard, sambhar, goral, chital, barking deer, spotted deer, nilgai (blue bull).
One of the smallest national parks in India (~28 sq. km).

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Himachal Pradesh

Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)

Chandra Tal is a lake in the Spiti Valley.
It is accessible on foot from Kunzum Pass (it connects Lahul and Spiti valley).
Chandra Taal is near the source of the Chandra River (a source river of the Chenab).
This sanctuary stands as a crucial habitat for rare and endangered species, including the elusive snow leopard and Himalayan ibex.

Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, within the Dhauladhar mountain range.
Located in Lesser Himalayas, it lies between Dalhousie (near Ravi River) and Kullu-Manali Valley (Beas River).
Ravi River flows along the fringes of the Dhauladhar range. Hanuman Tibba (5,982 m) is its highest peak.
It also hosts a mini zoo called Gopalpur Zoo.
Major Flora: Oak, rhododendron, deodar.

Kais Wildlife Sanctuary

The Kais Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
It includes parts of the Kais Nala (a tributary of Beas River).
It was declared mainly to protect Musk Deer (EN).
Musk Deer population has declined drastically due to poaching for its musk pod.
The special wildlife attraction of Kais Wildlife Sanctuary is the Brown Bear and the Himalayan Black Bear.

Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary

Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary is animal sanctuary at Kalatop and Khajjiar in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
It lies in the path of the Ravi River near Dalhousie.
Vegetation: Dense deodar and fir forest.
Pheasants, serow and black bear are some of the common animals found here.

Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located in Bharmour area of Chamba district.
It is situated between Ravi and Chenab Rivers.
Major Fauna: Himalayan tahr (NT).
It also houses the famous Manimahesh Temple.

Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located in Kinnaur district along the stream Taiti, a tributary of Sutlej.
Major Fauna: Snow Leopards (VU).

Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (BS) (Ramsar Site)

Pong wetland is situated in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh.
Also called Maharana Pratap Sagar, It is one of the largest man-made wetlands of Northern India, formed by the construction of the Pong Dam in 1974 across the Beas River.
- In 1983, the entire reservoir was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary by the Himachal Pradesh government.
- In 1994, the Government of India declared it a “Wetland of National Importance”.
- Pong Dam Lake was declared as Ramsar Site in November 2002.
Pong Dam and Gobindsagar Reservoir (on Sutlej River) are the two most important fishing reservoirs in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh.
- Ranjit Sagar dam (Ranjit Sagar Lake in Punjab) ⟶ Ravi River
- Pong dam (Maharana Pratap Sagar in Himachal Pradesh) ⟶ Beas River
- Bhakra dam (Gobindsagar Reservoir in Himachal Pradesh) ⟶ Sutlej River
The Pong reservoir has four major islands, which include:
- Rancer,
- Karu,
- Kajal-ka-tapu and
- Jattaan da Kual.

Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary

Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, in the Sangla Valley.
Baspa River (a tributary of Sutlej River) that flows through it.

Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)

The Renuka Sanctuary is a nature sanctuary, situated in Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh.
A small tributary of the Yamuna separates the Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary from Simbalbara National Park.

Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary

Rupi Bhaba Sanctuary is located in Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh.
It is located on th bank of the Sutlej River between Pin Valley National Park and Govind National Park (Uttarakhand).

Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary

Churdhar Sanctuary is located in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
The sanctuary is named after Churdhar Peak.
- Churdhar is a holy place related with Shri Shirgul Maharaj (Chureshwar Maharaj), a deity widely worshipped in Sirmour and Chaupal.

Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary

Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Trans-Himalayan district of Lahaul and Spiti, in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
it is located on the left bank of the Spiti River.

Manali Wildlife Sanctuary

Located only two kilometres from Manali.
Manali River (a tributary of Beas River) passes through it.

Sech Tuan Nala Wildlife Sanctuary

This Sanctuary lies in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located in Mandi District.
The sanctuary is named after the Shikari Devi Temple, which is a revered religious site within its boundaries.
Sutlej River flows south of this Wildlife Sanctuary.

Ramsar Sites of Himachal Pradesh

Chandra Taal

It is a high-altitude lake near Kunzum Pass on the upper Chandra River valley.
Chandra and Bhaga rivers merge to form the Chenab River in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh.
Threats: overgrazing by the nomadic herdsmen.
Major Fauna: Snow Leopard (VU), Himalayan Ibex (NT), Blue Sheep (Bharal – LC)

Pong Dam Lake

It is a reservoir on the Beas River.
It is also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar.
It lies on the Trans-Himalayan Flyway for migratory Waterfowls

Renuka Lake

Renuka lake is in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
It is a natural wetland with freshwater springs and inland subterranean karst formations.
The lake is named after the mother of Hindu sage Parshuram.