Valley of Flowers National Park

This article is about the national park in Uttarakhand. For the "Valley of Flowers" sanctuary in Sikkim, see Yumthang Valley of Flowers. For the 2006 film, see Valley of Flowers (film).

UNESCO World Heritage Site
View of the Valley of Flowers
LocationChamoli District, Uttarakhand, India
Part ofNanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
Reference335-002
Inscription1988 (12th Session)
Extensions2005
Area8,750 ha (33.8 sq mi)
Coordinates30°43′48″N 79°37′03″E / 30.73000°N 79.61750°E / 30.73000; 79.61750
Valley of Flowers National Park is located in Uttarakhand
Valley of Flowers National Park
Location of Valley of Flowers National Park in Uttarakhand
Valley of Flowers National Park is located in India
Valley of Flowers National Park
Valley of Flowers National Park (India)
Valley of Flowers National Park is located in Earth
Valley of Flowers National Park
Valley of Flowers National Park (Earth)

Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park which was established in 1982. It is located in Chamoli in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear,[1] snow leopard,[1] musk deer,[1] brown bear, red fox[1] and blue sheep. Birds found in the park include Himalayan monal pheasant and other high-altitude birds.[2]

At 3,352 to 3,658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east.[3] Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalayas. The park stretches over 87.50 km2 and is about 8 km long and 2 km wide.[2] It lies completely in the temperate alpine zone. Both parks are encompassed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (223,674 ha) which is further surrounded by a buffer zone (5,148.57 km2).[4] Nanda Devi National Park Reserve is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

The park is open only during summer from June to October and is covered by heavy snow for the rest of the year.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference bhatt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference butler was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ N. Ulysses and Tabish, Thingnam Girija. "Trek to Valley of Flowers". Flowers of India. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  4. ^ "World Conservation Monitoring Centre". Archived from the original on 10 July 1997. Retrieved 20 July 2018.