Jigme Dorji National Park

Jigme Dorji covers over four thousand square kilometres of the northwest, the second largest protected area in Bhutan, and its altitude range from around 1,400 metres to over 7,000 means it holds almost the whole spread of Himalayan habitat: broadleaf forest, blue pine, fir, rhododendron, alpine meadow and glacier. Snow leopards, takin, blue sheep, tigers at lower elevations, red pandas and musk deer live in it, and the blue poppy, Bhutan's national flower, grows on the high scree. It is the only park where the takin is found alongside the snow leopard. People live inside the park: several thousand, including the Layap, whose grazing and the conservation regime coexist under an agreement. Access is essentially by trekking, with the Jomolhari and Snowman routes both crossing it.

History

The park, named after the late king Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, was established in 1974 and covers 4,316 square kilometres, spanning all three of Bhutan's climate zones from 1,400 to over 7,000 metres. About 6,500 people in 1,000 households live inside it, by subsistence farming and herding (Wikipedia, Jigme Dorji National Park).

What's there

• Full altitude range - forest to glacier within one protected area.
• Blue poppy - the national flower on high scree in summer.
• Takin and blue sheep - the large mammals of the alpine zone.
• Resident communities - herders living and grazing inside the park.

When to go

April to June and September to October for trekking. The blue poppy flowers in June and July, which falls in the monsoon and makes seeing it a trade-off. Winter closes the high routes.

Before you go

There is no road access beyond Gasa, so seeing the park means a multi-day trek arranged through an operator. Large mammal sightings are very unlikely; snow leopards are effectively never seen. Camping at altitude in cold conditions is the norm. Weather governs everything.

Nearby

Gasa lies at the road head; Jomolhari is on the western edge.

Key facts