Pin Valley National Park, National park in Lahaul and Spiti, India
Pin Valley National Park is a protected area in northern Himachal Pradesh with valleys, meadows, and rocky slopes between 3500 and 6000 meters elevation. The ground is dry and few trees grow at these altitudes, where boulder fields and short grasses cover the land.
The Indian government established the area as a national park in 1987 to protect threatened high mountain species. Later, it was integrated into the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve to extend protection beyond the boundaries.
The park's landscape is sparsely populated and used by herders who graze their animals on the high plateaus. Villages at lower elevations preserve guesthouses in traditional style with flat mud roofs and small windows against the cold air.
Visitors need a permit from the Forest Department in Kaza to enter the area. The months from June to September offer milder temperatures and open trails, while the rest of the year is often covered with snow.
Snow leopards roam the steep slopes and rock faces but remain rarely visible to observers. Siberian ibex climb skillfully over the rocks and can sometimes be seen in groups on the upper ridges.
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