Gangotri National Park

Gangotri National Park is a high-altitude reserve in Uttarkashi district whose terrain runs from sub-tropical conifer forest up to glacial basins and alpine meadows. It links Govind National Park with Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Within it lies Gaumukh, the glacier snout that feeds the Bhagirathi, main headstream of the Ganga, and above that Tapovan, a meadow at over 4,400 m facing Shivling, Meru and the Bhagirathi peaks.

The park also covers Nelong Valley, a cold-desert border area of rocky gorges once crossed by an Indo-Tibetan trade route, and the 18th-century Gangotri Temple at 3,000 m, one of the Char Dham shrines. Entry needs a permit from the Uttarakhand Forest Department, trips to Tapovan and Nelong require a registered guide, and the park shuts in winter.