National Parks of Jammu and Kashmir

1. Dachigam National Park located 22Kms from Srinagar, is set amidst stunning Himalayan mountains. The Park is blessed with beautiful landscape ranging from grasslands and pine forests, to cliffs and rocky outcrops, and bare rock-faced mountain tops lying high above the tree line.  It covers an area of 141 square kilometers with altitude ranging from 5500 ft to 14000 ft above mean sea level. Due to this variation, the park is differentiated as upper and lower Dachigam. In addition to the beautiful natural setting, Dachigam National Park is home to the last remaining wild population of the Kashmir Stag (or "Hangul") an endangered species.  

Founded in 1981, the name "Dachigam" (meaning "10 villages"), was derived from the ten villages that were relocated at the time of the formation of the Park. 

2. Hemis National Park is a High Altitude National park situated in the Ladakh region of J&K. Hemis was established as a National Park on 4th February 1981 and covers an area of 600 sq.km. Named after the famous monastery Hemis Gompa, this national park is known as the Snow leopard capital of India.The altitude ranges from 3,300 to 6,000 mt above the sea level, and hosts a remarkable variety of wildlife. 

This national park offers the tourists an abundant treasure of natural beauty with mountains of various shapes and sizes, mixed with vast flatlands, deserts and bordered by the fast flowing river Indus.

3. Kishtwar National Park covers an area of 400 sq.km and is surrounded by the cachments on all four sides. In the north there is Rinna River, South is covered by Kibar Nala, in the east lies Great Himalaya and to the south-west Marwa River where all the three Kiar, Nanth and Kibar nalas drain into Marwa River and joins with River Chenab just above Kishtwar town.

The terrain is generally rugged and steep with narrow valleys bounded by high ridges opening out in their upper glacial parts. There are around 15 species of mammals found here including Musk deer, Markhor, Hangul, Ibex, Langur, Leopard and Himalayan Black and Brown Bear.

4. Salim Ali National Park Named after the famous Orinthologist, Salim Ali, the National Park was formerly called the City Forest National Park. Established in 1992, it covers an area of 9.07 sq.km and situated close to the capital Shrinagar.The major wildlife found here are the Snow cock, Hangul, Serow, Chakar, Monal etc