Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

Binsar was the summer capital of the Chand rulers of Kumaon and is now a sanctuary of around forty-five square kilometres protecting broadleaf oak, rhododendron and pine forest on a ridge at about 2,400 metres. Its best-known feature is Zero Point, a short walk from the road, where a platform gives an uninterrupted view along a great stretch of the Himalayan chain, with Nanda Devi, Trisul, Panchachuli and Kedarnath peaks visible on clear days. The forest holds leopard, barking deer, Himalayan goral and pine marten, and a long bird list including laughingthrushes, forktails and the koklass pheasant.

History

Binsar was the summer capital of the Chand kings, who ruled Kumaon from the 11th to the 18th centuries, and the British also used it as a summer retreat and built estates in the forest, among them the bungalow of Sir Henry Ramsay, Commissioner of Kumaon from 1856 to 1884. In 1988 the area became a sanctuary to protect the shrinking broadleaf oak forests of the Central Himalaya (Wikipedia, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary).

What's there

• Zero Point - a platform with a long view of the Himalayan chain.
• The oak forest - broadleaf and rhododendron woodland along the ridge.
• The birdlife - laughingthrushes, forktails, pheasants and raptors.
• The old summer capital - remains and estate bungalows in the forest.

When to go

March to June for rhododendron bloom and September to November for the clearest mountain views; the monsoon closes the views with cloud. Winter is cold with occasional snow and very clear air.

Before you go

The Himalayan view depends entirely on weather and fails on hazy days. Accommodation inside the sanctuary is limited and generally expensive. Wildlife is heard more than seen.

Nearby

Almora lies south; Nainital is southwest.

Key facts