Dachigam National Park

Dachigam National Park is in full bloom with its wild fruit trees and beautiful animals –that give you a feeling that this is the closest you could get to the Land of the Gods. It would hardly be surprising if the gods themselves were to be envious of this heaven on earth. Some of the exotic plant species you will locate at one of these excursions from Srinagar comprise: wild cherry, pear, plum, peach, apple, apricot, walnut and chestnut. The Dachigam National Park is the most scenic of India’s wildlife reserves. This is the place where only dreams can take you.

Located at a distance of 22 kilometers from Srinagar, the Dachigam National Park covers an area of about 141 sq. kms. The vast variation in altitude from 5500 feet to 14000 feet makes the Dachigam National Park clearly demarcated into an upper and a lower area region. The best time to explore this region is summer and winter respectively – May to August for the upper area and September to December for the lower. Dachigam National Park is the home of several unique Himalayan flora and fauna, primarily the hangul or Kashmir stag, the most endangered species of red deer in the world.

The Dachigam National Park is has been a protected area since 1910 the first of its kind to be established under the care of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and the state government. The very name stands for “ten villages” that were relocated to establish the park. It was upgraded into and renamed a National Park in the year 1981. Although the Dachigam National Park houses the hangul and other rare species, it was initially created with a view to ensure the supply of drinking water to the city. An interesting facet of the Dachigam National Park is that it keeps changing appearance with the passage of each season, thereby making every visit a unique experience.