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Hemis National Park Ladakh (Leh)

Hemis high altitude national park or the Hemis national park is a wildlife park located in Ladakh of Jammu and Kashmir. The park is quite famous among tourists for its population of snow leopards. This is the only park in the country, which is located in the northern region of Himalayas and it is the largest national park in the country.

With Indus and Zaskar Rivers flowing at its boundaries, Hemis National Park is a picturesque holiday destination, which is flanked by five villages namely Shingo, Chillinga, Yurutse, Rumbak, and Sku-Kaya. Given its unspoilt and exotic landscape, we bet you simply cannot resist the temptation of capturing it all. Brush up your photography skills before you hit this natural wonderunspoilt and exotic landscape!

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Why Should You Go?

Tucked in the lap of pristine valleys in Ladakh, Hemis National Park is one of Asia’s most well-known natural habitats of the Snow Leopard. Named after the 400-year-old monastery, Hemis Gompa, the altitude of Hemis National Park ranges between 3000-6000 meters, the highest in the country.

Established in 1981, the park is flanked by five villages namely Shingo, Chillinga, Yurutse, Rumbak and Sku-Kaya, and is home to a variety of birds and animals including leopards, Tibetan Wolf, Eurasian Brown Bear and Red fox, amongst others.

What’s the Best Time to Visit?

If you want to enjoy a hassle-free and pleasant trip, plan one between the months of May and early October. The Jeep Safaris and most trekking routes are stalled post November due to heavy snowfall. If you are visiting Hemis between June and July, sync your dates with the Hemis Festival and book yourself for and artistic and cultural extravaganza. Make sure you plan at least a 4-night trip with enough room to settle, acclimatise and relax.

How to Get There?

You can fly Indian Airlines from Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar or Chandigarh to Leh, the base station to reach Hemis. Once at Leh, the park can be reached via road through a rented conveyance or bus, which plies daily from Leh to Hemis. If you are feeling adventurous, trek your way up from Spituk Village below Leh and pass through Zingchen and Markha Valleys to reach the national park. You will also come across Gandu La and Kongmaru La during the trail.

Flora of Hemis National Park

The park lies in the Tibetan plateau region, which covers pine forests, alpine tundra region, meadows and shrublands. The park lies in the rain shadow region. You can find dry forests commonly here. The upper moist slopes of the mountain contains Veronica, Kobresia, Carex, Gentiana and others. The regions of steppe vegetation contains Ephedra, Artemisia, Stachys and others. More than 15 different endangered medicinal are found here like Hyoscyamus niger, Artimisia maritima, Bergenia stracheyi and others.

Fauna of Hemis national park

The park is home to more than 200 snow leopards. These leopards are concentrated in the Rumbak catchment area. The main prey of leopards are the Great Tibetan sheep, blue sheep, Ladakhi Urial, and others. This is the only national park in the country that holds Ladakhi Urial.

Other notable animals are Tibetan wolf, red fox, Eurasian brown bear, mountain weasel, Himalayan mouse hare, Himalayan marmot and others. 16 different species of mammals are recorded in this park. There are more than 73 different bird species here. Notable birds are golden eagle, Himalayan griffon vulture, lammergeyer vulture, robin accentor, Tickell’s leaf warbler, chukar, black winged snowfinch, Himalayan snowcock and others. You can find a few tribal villages inside the park and livestock is common near the villages.

Climate of Hemis national park

The park receives ample amount of sunlight and warmth during summer. The summers are mildly warm and nights are cold. Winters are extremely cold and vegetation will be very less. Snowfall is very common after November. Rainfall is minimal during monsoon season. There is no distinct monsoon season in this region.

The best time to trek is from middle of June to middle of October. However, spotting big mammals during this time is very rare. Top season to spot snow leopards is the late winter. Winter starts in October and ends in March. If you are visiting in summer (starts in March and ends in June), you ought to enjoy the Hemis Festival that takes place inside the park in the Hemis monastery. The best time to visit the park is from May to September.

Wildlife Safari Timings in Hemis National Park

Indians are charged INR 20 per head and foreigners are charged INR 100 per head. Tourists are allowed to visit the park from 9 in the morning until 5 in the evening. The park is open throughout the week.

Different Areas in the Park

The mountainous region of the park has heavy snowfall. You can find very scarce vegetation in this region. No animals are found commonly in this region. During summer, flooding is common in this region due to condensation of glaciers.

The area that falls under the rain shadow region is covered with dry sub-humid areas. Rainfall is scarce and you can find small shrubs and trees here. Small mammals are found rarely in this region. In dense dry forest region, you can spot numerous animals. Hemis monastery fall under the boundary of the park. This 400-year-old monastery is famous for exploration, sightseeing and accommodation. Monastery is famous for the Hemis festival, which takes place in summer season.

The stream regions of the park is rich in vegetation. You can spot many animals near the water sources. You can find colorful flowers and birds in this region. Most of the trekking routes cover this region.

ACTIVITIES IN LADAKH