Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nanda_Devi_Peak.jpg
Nanda Devi National Park surrounds Nanda Devi, India's second highest peak, in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Set up in 1982, it lies entirely above 3,500 m and forms, with the Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The glacial basin of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary is home to snow leopards, Himalayan musk deer, blue sheep, Himalayan tahr and alpine flowers.
The inner sanctuary has been closed to visitors for decades to protect it, so most travellers see the park from treks on its edge, such as the routes around Lata and the Kuari Pass trail near Joshimath. Any trek needs permits from the Uttarakhand Forest Department.
- How to Reach: Joshimath is the nearest town, about 250 km from Rishikesh by road. Lata village, a common trek start, is about 25 km beyond Joshimath.
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