Pin valley is also known for its wildlife reserve, the Pin Valley National Park, established in January 1987 that houses several endangered wild animals along with other flora and fauna including rare medicinal plants and birds near extinction.

The Pin Valley National Park is in the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve of the majestic Himalayan region and marks the border between the districts of Lahaul and Spiti. It adjoins the Great Himalayan National Park in its southwest and Rupi Bhabha Sanctuary in the south.

This National Park has a widely varied elevation from 11,500 ft near Ka Dogri to more than 20,000 ft at its highest point. It is known for its fantastic landscape variance from the lush green head of the Kullu Valley to the excellent vistas of bare, brown mountains with hanging glaciers and snowfields that add to the beauty by dazzling in the crisp daylight.

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Flora And Fauna

These high hills of the Himalayas have a lot to offer when it comes to Flora and Fauna.
As most of it is unexplored and virgin because of its snow-laden higher reaches and slopes, it provides the most natural and mesmerizing scenes unscathed by human interference and away from the onslaught of time.

It is a natural habitat of several endangered animals like snow leopard, snow pigeon, Himalayan snowcock (Tetraogallushim alayensis),Siberian ibex, woolly hare, Tibetan gazzle, wolf (Canis lupus), fox (Vulpes vulpes), Tibetan wild ass (Equus hemionus kiang), wooly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus), Indian porcupine (Hystrix indica), patridge (Aleetoris choker), blue sheep (Pseudois Nayaur) red billed chough (Pijrrhocrax grackles), Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus), Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos), and many more. 

It has a sparse vegetation density with most of it comprising of dry alpine trees, dwarf Junifer scrub, and Himalayan Cedar groves. Among other floral varieties, it includes Populus Spp, Salix Spp, bhutal (Juniperus mecropoda), bhojpatra (Betula utilis) and many more.

In summers the entire park becomes livelier because of chirping of thousands of rare birds like the Himalayan snowcock, snow partridge, Snow finch and Chuka partridge.

Along with endangered animals and birds, the Pin Valley National Park is also the abode of many endangered and rare medicinal plants like Ephedra gerardianaFerula jaeschkeana and many more. Close to twenty-two endangered plant species with significant medicinal value are found here.

What are the other places near Pin Valley National Park worth visiting?

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The Pin Valley National Park Is Surrounded By Many Other Tourist Destinations

1. Dhankar Gompa

The Dhankar Gompa Monastery was built close to 1000 years down the line and has undergone many upheavals in its lifetime down the history from being the Spiti’s Capital once upon a time to jail to house prisoners and culprits. Being at an elevation of 3870 m it has a lot of natural scenes and stunning vistas to lure tourists and leave them spell-bind.

Besides its natural beauty, it is of much more significance because of the number of medicinal plants found here for their amazing medicinal qualities to cure lung to heart diseases. Several other herbs also grow in close to Dhankar Gompa.

2. Tabo Gompa 

Tabo Gompa is about 48 km from the Pin Valley National Park and is often visited by almost all the tourists who used to come there because of being the largest monastery of the Buddhist religion. It was built in 996 AC by Rinchen Zangpo and is going to be the retiring place of the current Dalai Lama.

3. Nine Other Temples 

Additionally, it has nine temples with all dating from 10th to the 16th century in its complex with sculptures, wall paintings and other stucco images in close resemblance to what is found in Ajanta-Ellora caves.

4. Assembly Hall 

Besides, it also has a main assembly hall with surrounding 33 raised Bodhisattva statues and one four-sided statue of Sarvarid Vairocana, who is renowned as one of the five Dhyani Buddhas.

5. Kyil Khor Temple 

Behind the main complex is Kyil Khor temple, also known in the region as Mystic Mandala temple that houses some of the beautifully faded mandals (frescos). To the north of the temple complex are the two famous chapels of Dromton Lhakhang and Maitreya Chapel.

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How To Reach Pin Valley National Park?

Depending upon the time of the year, one can reach Pin Valley National Park by selecting two different main routes.

Reaching Pin Valley National Park itself is an amazing journey, as it provides one with beautiful natural scenic beauties while on the way along with a pleasant climate.

By Road:

1) Via Manali- Rohtang Pass-Kunzum La in case one is coming in between July to October.

2) Another approachable route is via Shimla-Tapri-Kaza when coming here between March to December.

By Air: 

Bhuntar in Kullu district is the nearest airport to reach here. Many Private flight operators are operating in this region that can provide you flights as per convenience from Delhi.

By Rail: 

Shimla at a distance of around 443 km is the nearest railhead to Pin Valley National Park.

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What Is The Best Time To Visit Here?

Best time to visit:

The best time to visit the Pin Valley National Park is from May to October, as it receives heavy snowfall in winter and remains as a cold and dry desert round the year.

However, from June to September the Spiti road is open from both Shimla and Manali to conveniently be here by opting for any route you prefer.

Conclusion

There is nothing better than visiting Pin Valley National Park in Himachal Pradesh, whether you are a nature lover or an adventurer. It provides you with panoramic views on the one hand and a chance to come across the wildlife in their natural habitats.

Pin Valley is a perfect paradise to enjoy the beautiful natural vistas and splendid panoramic views. It is best to explore it with spouse, family, or friends as you will not find such a pleasant place with chilled weather and a serene environment anywhere else. 

Indian Travel Store curates Vacation Tours within different budgets across pan India and is catering across India from last more than ten decades with a trained team of more than 120 experienced professionals. They have expertise in customizing itineraries and travel packages as per their client's requirements, limitations, customs, culture, preference, and interests. They have years of experience in delivering the best experience over the board to all their clients. 

Here you can pick from their several Himachal tour packages besides Pin Valley National Park. They have several packages suiting all budgets, needs, and duration, no worries whether you intend to go for an economy or a luxury tour. They are more than glad to customize their itineraries as per the individual guests too. So, it is time to call India Travel Store and book a trip.