Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary and Zero Point — oak forest and the snow range above Almora
What it is
Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is a forested mountain about 30 km north of Almora, set aside in 1988 to protect the broadleaf oak forests of the Central Himalaya. It covers about 45.59 km², from about 900 m to 2,500 m. At its top is Zero Point, also called Jhandi Dhar, with one of the widest views of the snow range in Kumaon.
Photos: Shyamal (CC BY-SA 3.0) · SudiptoDutta (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The view
From Zero Point, Wikipedia lists Panchachuli, Nanda Kot, Nanda Devi, Trisul, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Shivling among the peaks in sight. The view is clearest on autumn and winter mornings; by midday cloud often rises from the valleys.
The forest and its life
Oak and rhododendron cover the higher slopes, and the rhododendrons flower ruby red in March and April. Wikipedia counts over 200 species of birds, including the kalij and koklass pheasants and the monal, and lists leopard, Himalayan goral, musk deer, serow, barking deer and red giant flying squirrels among the mammals. A small museum describes the sanctuary's plants and animals.
A summer capital
Binsar was the summer seat of the Chand kings, who ruled Kumaon between the 11th and the 18th century. In the 19th century Sir Henry Ramsay, Commissioner of Kumaon from 1856 to 1884, built a bungalow on the Khali estate here.
Visiting
The road end below Zero Point is about 25 km and 50 minutes from Almora on our routing; from there you walk through the forest. We have no measured walking time, no verified entry rules and no fees to give; ask at the sanctuary gate. Keep to the paths and stay quiet for the birds.
Combine it with
Copy the Binsar day from Almora, or the two days with Katarmal and Jageshwar. Read things to do in Almora.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →
Nearby places
All of Almora →
Nearby destinations
All destinations →
Questions people ask
What can you see from Zero Point, Binsar?
A wide sweep of the snow range. Wikipedia lists Panchachuli, Nanda Kot, Nanda Devi, Trisul, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Shivling among the peaks visible from Zero Point, also called Jhandi Dhar, the highest point of the sanctuary. Go early on a clear morning in autumn or winter, before cloud builds.
How far is Binsar from Almora?
Wikipedia puts the sanctuary about 30 km north of Almora. On our routing the road end below Zero Point is about 25 km and 50 minutes from Almora. The last stretch to the viewpoint is on foot through the forest; we have no measured walking time, so allow a couple of hours for it.
What wildlife lives in Binsar?
Wikipedia lists leopard, Himalayan goral, musk deer, serow, barking deer, langurs and red giant flying squirrels, and over 200 species of birds, including the kalij and koklass pheasants and the monal. The sanctuary was set up in 1988 to protect the oak forests of the Central Himalaya.