National Parks in Uttarakhand – There are now 106 national parks in India, with six of them located in the state of Uttarakhand. In this article, we will learn about all the National Parks in Uttarakhand state with the help of the map. So if you are preparing for any exam like UPSC, IAS, SSC MTS, SSC GD, SSC CHSL, SSC CGL, SSC CPO, NDA, CDS, Bank PO, IBPS Then this post will be important for you.
List of National Parks in Uttarakhand
The names of all 6 National Parks of Uttarakhand state with declared year and area are given in the following table.
S.N. | National Parks | Declared Year | Area (km2) |
1. | Jim Corbett National Park | 1936 | 520.82 |
2. | Nanda Devi National Park | 1982 | 624.6 |
3. | Valley of Flower National Park | 1982 | 87.5 |
4. | Rajaji National Park | 1983 | 820.42 |
5. | Gangotri National Park | 1989 | 2390.02 |
6. | Govind Pashu Vihar National Park | 1990 | 472.08 |
In the given map all 6 National Parks in Uttarakhand State are shown.
So now we will read about all the national parks of Uttarakhand in detail.
Jim Corbett National Park
- Jim Corbett National Park is located in Nainital district of Uttarakhand state.
- It is the oldest and the first national park in India which was established in 1936 as “Hailey National Park” named after William Malcolm Hailey, the Governor of the United Provinces in British India.
- In 1957, this national park was renamed after the famous photographer Jim Corbett.
- On April 1, 1973, Project Tiger was started from this national park, that is, it is India’s first tiger reserve.
- The total area of Jim Corbett National Park is 520.80 km2.
- The Patli Doon Valley formed by the Ramganga River is located in this national park.
Flora and Fauna
- 110 species of trees, 580 birds, 25 reptiles, and 50 mammals are found in Jim Corbett National Park.
- This national park is the largest Tiger reserve in terms of tiger population.
Important animals – Indian pangolin, sambar deer, crocodile, gharial, chital, hog deer, tiger, Himalayan black bear, elephant, leopard, etc.
Vegetation – Peepal, Rohini, Sal, Haldu, etc. trees are found in the moist deciduous forest area.
Nanda Devi National Park
- Nanda Devi National Park is located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state.
- This national park was established in the year 1982 and its total area is 630.33 km2.
- Nanda Devi National Park was included in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in the year 1988.
- This national park is located in the core area of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.
- India’s second-highest mountain peak Nanda Devi is located near this national park.
- The Rishi Ganga River flows through the Nanda Devi National Park.
Flora and Fauna
- Animals like Himalayan Musk Deer, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Kala Bear, Himalayan Tahr, etc. are found in Nanda Devi National Park.
- Rhododendrons, alpine flowers, then, birch, etc. plants are often seen here.
Valley of Flower National Park
- Valley of Flowers National Park is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state.
- It was established in the year 1982 and its total area is 87.50 km2.
- This national park is located in the core area of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.
- The Valley of Flowers National Park was included in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in the year 2005 as a unit along with Nanda Devi National Park.
Flora and Fauna
- Some rare and endangered species are found in the Valley of Flowers National Park.
- Major animals – red giant flying squirrel, red fox, goral, Himalayan tahr, bharal blue sheep, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, etc.
- This national park is famous for a variety of flower species, in which orchids, rhododendrons, anemones, marigolds, daisies, etc. are prominent.
Rajaji National Park
- Rajaji National Park is spread over the Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, and Dehradun districts of Uttarakhand state.
- In the year 1983, Rajaji National Park was established by merging Chilla, Motichur, and Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuaries.
- The total area of this national park is 820.5 km2.
- The park was named after C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India.
- In the year 2015, Rajaji National Park became the second Tiger Reserve of Uttarakhand after Jim Corbett National Park.
Flora and Fauna
- This national park is mainly famous for elephants and apart from this, creatures like the Bengal tiger, jackal, Indian langur, leopard, rhesus macaque monkey, sloth bear, mountain goat, etc. are also found here.
- Broad-leaved deciduous forests are found in this national park situated in the hills of Shivalik, in which trees like Sal, Bamboo, Palash, Arjun Khair, etc. are found.
Gangotri National Park
- The Gangotri Glacier [Gaumukh], the origin of the river Ganga, is located in this national park.
- In the year 1989, it was given the status of a National Park.
- This national park is spread over an area of 2390 km2 between Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary.
Flora and Fauna
- Various types of rare species like Himalayan snowcock, Himalayan monal, black and brown bear, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan snow leopard, musk deer, etc. are found in this national park.
- Sub-alpine conifer vegetation is found in the lower area of this national park and alpine shrubs and shrub vegetation are found in the altitude, in which trees of rip pine, deodar, fir, spruce, rhododendron, etc. are prominent.
Govind Pashu Vihar National Park
- Govind Pashu Vihar National Park was established in the year 1955 in the name of Govind Vallabh Pant, the first Chief Minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh.
- The total area of this national park is 472 km2.
- The park forms the upper catchment area of the Tons, a tributary of the Yamuna, and the famous Hari-ki-Doon Valley is located in this national park.
- Snow Leopard Project was first started in Govind Pashu Vihar National Park for the conservation of snow leopards.
Flora and Fauna
- Various species of animals and birds are found in this national park.
- Major animals – a brown bear, musk deer, black eagle, western tragopans, golden langur, Himalayan tahr, snow leopard, black bear, etc.
- Broad-leaved conifer and deciduous forests are found in Govind Pashu Vihar National Park, in which trees of spruce, oak, walnut, silver fir, blue pine, horse chestnut, rhododendron, etc. are found.
National Parks in Uttarakhand GK FAQs
Question – How many national parks are there in Uttarakhand?
Answer – At present, there are 6 National Parks in Uttarakhand.
- Jim Corbett National Park
- Nanda Devi National Park
- Valley of Flower National Park
- Rajaji National Park
- Gangotri National Park
- Govind Pashu Vihar National Park
Question – Which is the most famous park in Uttarakhand?
Answer – Jim Corbett National Park, Valley of Flower National Park, Rajaji National Park, and Nanda Devi National Park are the most famous parks in Uttarakhand.
Question – Which national park is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand?
Answer – Valley of Flower National Park is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state.
Question – What is Jim Corbett National Park called?
Answer – Jim Corbett National Park is also known as Halley National Park and was established in the year 1936.
Question – Which national park is the largest national park in Uttarakhand?
Answer – Gangotri National Park is the largest national park in Assam state with a total area of 2390.02 km2.
Question – Which national park is the smallest national park in Uttarakhand?
Answer – Valley of Flower National Park is the smallest national Park in Assam state with a total area of 87.05 km2.
So in this way, we have covered all the important facts about all 6 National Parks of Uttarakhand from various exam points of view. Hope you liked this article.