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A wide green alpine meadow with a forested ridge and a clear blue sky above in Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
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Photo: Shibnath Samanta · CC BY-SA 4.0
area1 min from Gulmarg

Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary — the forest and meadows around the resort

The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary: about 180 square kilometres of fir, birch and pine forest and alpine meadow around Gulmarg, with its birds, mammals and peaks.

What it is

The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary covers about 180 square kilometres on the north-east flank of the Pir Panjal Range, around the resort of Gulmarg. Wikipedia says it was declared a game reserve in 1981 and made a sanctuary in 1987, and that it lies about 50 km south-west of Srinagar. The resort, its golf club and the gondola are inside it.

Photos: Sahid Vaidya (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

The land and the trees

The sanctuary ranges from about 2,400 m to 4,300 m. Its forests are mainly silver fir, silver birch and blue pine, with alpine meadows above the trees, and the peaks within it include Apharwat, Kanternag and Neelkanth. The high ground is exposed rock and snow.

Wildlife

Wikipedia lists the Himalayan brown bear, Asiatic black bear, leopard, musk deer and Kashmir grey langur, and records 95 bird species, among them the Himalayan monal, the koklass pheasant and the Kashmir flycatcher, and 31 butterfly species. Animals are wild and the bears and leopards dangerous; keep your distance.

Visiting

The meadow around the resort is the easy way in. We have no verified rules for trekking in the forest, so ask locally and keep to paths. It lies near the Line of Control, and Wikipedia describes it as strategically important, so follow local instructions.

Combine it with

The Gulmarg Gondola rises over it and Apharwat is its best-known peak. The one-day plan stays on the resort side; read things to do in Gulmarg.

Plans that include this

All 1 plans that stop here →
A wide green alpine meadow with a forested ridge and a clear blue sky above in Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
A half-day on Gulmarg's meadow — the sanctuary, the golf meadow and two landmarks
Day plan · families · nature
A relaxed half-day in Gulmarg without the gondola: the meadow in the wildlife sanctuary, the golf course, St Mary's Church and the Maharani Temple.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep
See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Gulmarg →
Apharwat Peak — the mountain above Gulmarg and its ski slopes
Apharwat Peak — the mountain above Gulmarg and its ski slopes
peak · 4.5 km away
The Gulmarg Gondola — the two-stage cable car up Apharwat
The Gulmarg Gondola — the two-stage cable car up Apharwat
viewpoint · 5.4 km away
St Mary's Church, Gulmarg — the 1902 church in the valley of shepherds
St Mary's Church, Gulmarg — the 1902 church in the valley of shepherds
temple · 6.8 km away
Maharani Temple, Gulmarg — the Shiva temple of 1915 on the meadow's rise
Maharani Temple, Gulmarg — the Shiva temple of 1915 on the meadow's rise
temple · 7.1 km away
Kheer Bhawani Temple — the spring shrine at Tulmulla near Srinagar
Kheer Bhawani Temple — the spring shrine at Tulmulla near Srinagar
temple · 41 km away
Khanqah-e-Moula — the wooden shrine of Shah-e-Hamadan on the Jhelum
Khanqah-e-Moula — the wooden shrine of Shah-e-Hamadan on the Jhelum
temple · 41 km away
Jama Masjid Srinagar — the great wooden Friday mosque of the old city
Jama Masjid Srinagar — the great wooden Friday mosque of the old city
temple · 42 km away
Hari Parbat Fort — the hill fort above Srinagar's old city
Hari Parbat Fort — the hill fort above Srinagar's old city
fort · 43 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
Two shikara boats on calm Dal Lake with snow-covered mountains rising behind the far shore
Srinagar
42 km away · 3 itineraries · 12 places
A green forested valley with a stream winding through meadows below snow-capped peaks and white clouds near Pahalgam
Pahalgam
88 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
A rocky mountain stream running through a green valley beneath snow-covered peaks at Sonamarg
Sonamarg
91 km away · 1 itineraries · 2 places
Dalhousie hill station across its five hills
Dalhousie
220 km away · 2 itineraries · 5 places
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Questions people ask

What is the Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary?

A protected area of about 180 square kilometres on the north-east flank of the Pir Panjal Range, around the Gulmarg resort. Wikipedia says it was a game reserve from 1981 and a sanctuary from 1987, and that its elevation runs from about 2,400 m to 4,300 m, with the resort, golf club and gondola inside it.

What lives in the sanctuary?

Wikipedia lists the Himalayan brown bear, Asiatic black bear, leopard, musk deer and Kashmir grey langur among the mammals, and records 95 species of birds, among them the Himalayan monal, the koklass pheasant and the Kashmir flycatcher, plus 31 species of butterfly. Sightings are not guaranteed, and the bears and leopards are dangerous.

Can you walk in the sanctuary?

The resort, the meadows and the gondola lie within it. We have no verified rules or permits for trekking in the forest or the high pastures, so ask at the forest office or locally, keep to paths, and do not approach wildlife. The border area is sensitive, so follow any local restrictions.