It is beyond a doubt that one of the most picturesque settings with superbly stunning views and locales is Kashmir. It is rightly called ‘Heaven on Earth’ with the most untouched places and diverse flora and fauna. There are a plethora of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries that have some rich fauna of the likes of Hangul, Tibetan wild dog, Markhor, Kashmir Musk Deer, Tibetan Gazelle, Chiru, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Tahr, etc. They live in their natural habitat for people to view and feel one with nature.
It’s a great idea to explore wildlife and visit these wildlife reserves for an enriching holiday. So, we bring you the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks of Kashmir in an extensive account. Let us take a look at them.
Dachigam National Park
Himalayan Black bear found in the Dachigam National Park
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
Located about 22 km from Srinagar, the Dachigam National Park falls in the Zabarwan Range of the Western Himalayas. The landscape is interspersed with impressive views of vegetation and waterfalls, elegant meadows and pretty pastures. The extensive fauna found here are the brown bear, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, leopards, Kashmiri stag and Hangul.
For the birders, there are myriad species of birds to watch, like bulbuls, cinnamon sparrows, colourful pheasants, Himalayan Monal, Kashmiri flycatcher and pygmy owlet etc.
Visit the Dachigam National Park with us for the most adventurous wildlife experience in Kashmir.
Best Time to Visit Dachigam National Park
The months between April and August are the best time to visit Dachigam National Park.
How to Reach Dachigam National Park
By Air
The nearest airport to the Dachigam National Park is the Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport at Srinagar. It is at a fair distance of 22 km from the park and the road journey can be covered by hired taxi/cab.
By Rail
The nearest station is Jammu Tawi 320 km away from the Dachigam National Park. From there, a hired taxi will take you to the national park in a road journey of 8-10 hours.
By Road
Srinagar is connected to all the major towns of Jammu through public and private buses. Alternately, cabs and private vehicles can be hired to travel from Jammu/Srinagar to further places.
Hokersar Wildlife Sanctuary
Crested Grebe in water
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
Hokersar Wildlife Sanctuary is the breeding place of many birds and boasts the largest bird reserve in the Kashmir valley. The natural vegetation with the dandiest plants and animals adds to the beauty of this place. It is indeed an ideal place for birdwatchers as it is a wetland and sees many migratory birds that flock here all through the year.
Large Egret found in the Hokesar Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
Birds come here from Siberia, Central Asia, China etc. There are many species which are endangered as well and this is the reason government emphasises their conservation. Tufted duck, Large egret, little cormorant, crested grebe and common shelduck and even the endangered white-eyed pochard are a few of the exotic bird species spotted here.
How to reach Hokesar National Park
By Air
The nearest airport to this National Park is Srinagar which is at a distance of 20 km. It is an easily driveable time of 30-40 mins to reach this place.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi at a distance of 260 km which will take close to 8 hours by hired/shared taxi.
By Road
Jammu and Srinagar are connected well by road to all the major cities of Kashmir and other cities like Chandigarh, Delhi, etc and roads are in good condition to drive around in Jammu and Kashmir.
Best time to visit Hokesar National Park
The best time to visit the Hokesar National Park is from October to January which is the time of the year when the maximum number of rare bird species is found.
Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
Wild Musk Deer in Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
One destination frequented by tourists is the Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary. Located at a distance of 48 km from Srinagar, this sanctuary has distinct natural beauty and a splendour of vegetation. A varied variety of flora and fauna is found here and people can visit this place to see animals at a close range. There are some creatures now, though, which are endangered or may even be on the verge of extinction. Musk deer is one of the highlights of this sanctuary. Others that are found here include black bears, brown bears, leopards, and red foxes among many others.
Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary is a must-visit when in Gulmarg for your next holiday in Kashmir.
Best time to visit Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
The best time to visit the Gulmarg Wildlife sanctuary is from March to June.
How to reach Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air
The nearest airport which is the Sheikh-ul-Alam Airport in Srinagar is 50 km from the Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary. The airport is well-connected to all the major cities and is an International airport. From there, the road journey can be undertaken via a hired cab/jeep which will take about 70-90 mins to reach the sanctuary from the airport.
By Rail
The nearest railway station to the Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary is Jammu Tawi. The 300 km journey from the station to the sanctuary takes close to 9 hours via hired taxi/jeep.
Kishtwar High Altitude National Park
Himalayan Tahr found in the Kishtwar National Park
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
The Kishtwar National Park which falls in the Kishtwar district in Kashmir has altitude ranges from 5600 to 15,600 ft ASL. The varieties of fauna found here are some amazing and rare species like the Indian Muntjac, hangul, snow leopard and the Himalayan Tahr. There are many bird species too, that are found here like the bearded vulture, griffon vulture, white-cheeked bulbul and paradise flycatcher.
Best Time to Visit Kishtwar High Altitude National Park
The best time to visit Kishtwar High Altitude National Park is from September to May.
How to reach Kishtwar National Park
By Air
The closest airport is Jammu Airport which is 250 km away from this National Park. Cab or hired taxi will take a 6-hour road journey to reach the national park from the airport.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Udhampur located 180 km away from the national park. The road journey from the station will take about 4-5 hours.
By Road
Bus services are available about 20 km away from a place called Plamer. On the other hand, taxis can be hired to visit this park.
Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary
Axis Deer or Chital found commonly at the Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
Situated northwards from Jasrota, the Jasrota Wildlife sanctuary in Kashmir speaks of beautiful and lush green plains that house myriad species of animals and birds. Remarkable among all the animals found here are the Axis deer that are commonly seen all over the sanctuary. Other animals common here are Barking deer, chital, wild boar and the rhesus monkey.
Green pigeon found in Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
Other than these, the plethora of bird varieties found here is the green pigeon, red jungle fowl, and blue rock pigeon. This sanctuary is also ideal for trekking. It is a must-visit for good treks along with an extensive wildlife experience.
Best time to visit Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary
The best time to visit the Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary is from March to May.
How to reach Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air
The nearest airport is Jammu airport and the 65 km journey to the Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary can be made via hired taxi.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi and the road journey via cab from the station shall take an hour or so to reach the sanctuary.
By Road
The sanctuary is well-connected via road from Jammu and all the other major cities.
Kazinag National Park
Endangered Markhor found in the Kazinag National Park
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
Situated on the north bank of the Jhelum River, the Kazinag National Park is located at a distance of about 70 kilometres from Srinagar. Its superb topography houses close to 20 species of birds and almost 120 species of animals. The many species of rare, endangered and threatened animals found here are the common leopard, Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan marmot, markhor, Himalayan black bear and the Kashmir flying squirrel.
Best Time to Visit Kazinag National Park
The best time to visit the Kazinag National Park is between October and April.
How to Reach Kazinag National Park
By Air
The nearest airport to Kazinag National Park is the Sheikh-ul-Alam airport at Srinagar The 70 km distance from the airport to the park can be covered by hired/shared cab.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi and a hired cab will get you from the station to the Park in about 6-7 hours by road.
By Road
There is good road connectivity from Baramulla where the park is located to Srinagar, Jammu and other major cities. Public transport like buses and shared cabs can be taken to reach here.
Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary
Highly endangered species of Western Tragopan found in the Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
The village of Lachipora houses the Lachipora wildlife sanctuary which is located on the banks of the Jhelum river. Green fields and forests surround the whole area of the sanctuary which is a lovely treat to the eyes. The most important species of fauna found here are the wild goat and western Tragopan which is an endangered species that is conserved here.
How to reach Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air
The nearest airport is the Sheikh-ul-Alam Airport at Srinagar and from there the 90 km journey can be undertaken in a cab/govt hired taxi.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi and the 260 km journey will take about 6-7 hours by govt/civil-hired taxi.
By Road
Road connectivity is good with decent road conditions to Jammu and Srinagar.
Best time to visit Lachipora
The best time to visit the Lachipora wildlife sanctuary is between September and March.
Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary
Himalayan Woodpecker found in Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
Located in the Shopian district about 70 km from Srinagar is the Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary serves as a home to a plethora of bird and animal species like the Himalayan woodpecker, white-capped redstart etc, and the animal varieties of leopard, musk deer, Tibetan wolf, etc.
If we talk about birds of the sanctuary, then we can see different varieties of birds here which are very unique and rarely found. Those who are fond of birdwatching can visit this sanctuary for a unique bird-watching experience.
Best time to visit Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary
The best time to visit the Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary is from the months of October to March.
How to reach Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air
The nearest airport is the Sheikh-ul-Alam airport at Srinagar which is located at a distance of 70 km from the Hirpora Sanctuary. The road journey can be taken via a cab/hired taxi from the airport and will take a little more than one hour.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi and the 300 km distance from there to the sanctuary will take about 6-7 hours via shared cab/hired taxi.
By Road
The sanctuary is connected through a good network of roads from Jammu and Srinagar and the road conditions are good too.
Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
Red Jungle Fowl found in the Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
A well-known wildlife sanctuary in Kashmir, the Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary serves as home to many endangered species of fauna and rare flora too. For the birders, this place is nothing less than paradise and they can flock to the sanctuary from March to May for the best bird spotting like the red jungle fowl, peafowl, and blue rock pigeon. There are many species of mammals found here like the wild boar, leopard and rhesus monkey.
Best time to visit Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
The best time to visit the Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary is from September to March.
How to reach Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air
The nearest airport is the Jammu airport and the 30 km journey to reach the sanctuary from the airport can easily be fulfilled by local transport or govt hired vehicles.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi which is close to 30 km from the sanctuary. Local and govt hired as well as private cabs can be hired from the station to reach the sanctuary.
By Road
Road connectivity is good from Jammu to other cities within Kashmir and other states as well. The National Highway 1A connects Jammu to all the other parts of India.
Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary
Barking deer found in the Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary in Anantnag
Pic credits: depositphotos.com
At about 60 km distance from Srinagar, in the Anantnag district, the Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary is among the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in Kashmir. A well-spread sanctuary, it is home to some of the most unique fauna like the rhesus macaque, snow leopard, barking deer, brown bear, Himalayan Marmot and jackal. The endangered species of the Kashmiri stag is also found here.
Best time to visit Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary
The best time to visit the Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary is from March to June.
How to reach Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air
Sheikh-ul-Alam Airport at Srinagar is the nearest airport to the Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary. The airport is well-connected with daily flights from all the major cities in India. From there, cab/govt hired taxis can be taken to reach the sanctuary which is about 75 km away.
By Rail
The nearest railway station to the Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary is Jammu Tawi which is at a distance of 255 km. One can take state transport (buses) or hire a cab to reach Achabal.
By Road
Achabal Sanctuary is well-connected by road to Jammu and Srinagar. Local transport and cabs can be taken to move around easily.
Kashmir is such a haven and wildlife really thrives in this bountiful land providing them with the most suitable environment to flourish. To view them in their natural habitat where these animals and birds are casually going about their lives is the ideal setting in order to experience true nature. Some of the most exquisite and rare fauna are found in this exotic paradise. Come here for the most rewarding wildlife experience you’ll ever have! See you soon!
