Tourists looking for a break from their stressful schedule should head to Uttarakhand’s lush surroundings. When the Valley of Flowers opens on June 1, 2022, it will be a welcome respite from the scorching heat that has engulfed most parts of the country.
The Valley of Flowers, located in the higher Garhwal Himalayas and rich in floral and faunal abundance, is a living testament that Uttarakhand has been gifted with nature’s pristine beauty.
The Valley of Flowers, located at a height of 3,000 metres in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli region, is open to the public from June to October. Beginning in October, the area is covered in a blanket of snow for the remaining six months.
It was an accidental discovery by an avid British mountaineer and a botanist, Frank S Smythe, when he was traversing through the region in 1931.
The valley today is home to over six hundred flowering species, including some exotic varieties like Brahmkamal, which is also the state flower of Uttarakhand. Other varieties include Blue poppy, described as the Queen of Flowers, Bluebell, Primula, Potentilla, Aster, Lilium, Himalayan Blue Poppy, Delphinium, and Ranunculus. The region also has a rich faunal diversity with species like the leopard, musk deer, and blue sheep.
Declared a National Park in 1982, the Valley of Flowers stretches over an expanse of 87.50 sq. km. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Accessible only on foot, it is a paradise for trekkers. The valley has a seventeen kilometers long trek that begins at Ghangaria, situated at an altitude of 10,000 feet, which can be reached via a trek from Govindghat, a small township near Joshimath.
A permit is required from the state forest department to enter the Valley of Flowers.
