Bhimtal Lake
lake · 2.7 km away
lake49 min from Nainital
Sattal, the seven lakes
Sattal, a group of seven freshwater lakes at about 1,370 m among oak and pine, known for birds and a forest setting, 21 km and 49 minutes from Nainital.
What it is
Sattal, also written Sat Tal, is a group of seven freshwater lakes in the lower Himalayan range near Bhimtal, at about 1,370 m, below orchards in the Mehragaon valley. Wikipedia says the area held a tea plantation in the British period, one of four in Kumaon then, and that the lakes sit in oak and pine forest that makes them a draw for birdwatchers.
Photos: Sumita Roy Dutta (CC BY-SA 4.0) · raj (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
By road it is about 21 km and 49 minutes from the hub point of Nainital on our routing, close to Bhimtal. We have no verified bus timings, so a taxi is the practical way.
The visit
You come for the quiet and the forest. Our photographs show kayaks on a stony shore, a railed path above the water and a turquoise arm of the lake among oak trees. Wikipedia says some local people run camps for outdoor visitors, and calls the lakes a good place for migratory birds.
The same article warns that the lakes are fragile, harmed by deforestation, dumped waste and building in their catchment, and that one lake, Khudariya Tal, has leaked until it became the dry Sukha Tal. Keep to the paths and take your litter with you.
When to go
Clear dry weeks after the rains and spring are the easiest seasons; the monsoon is wet. See when to visit Nainital.
Around it
Bhimtal Lake is close by and Nainital Lake is back in town. The two-day plan ends its second morning here.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →Nearby places
Questions people ask
What is Sattal?
A group of seven interconnected freshwater lakes near Bhimtal, at about 1,370 m among oak and pine forest, below orchards in the Mehragaon valley. The name means seven lakes. Wikipedia says the area had a tea plantation under the British and is now known for its birds and for camps run mostly by local people.
What can you see at Sattal?
Wikipedia counts about 500 bird species, resident and migrant, along with 20 mammal species and over 525 butterfly species, and treats it as a place for birders. Our photographs show kayaks on the shore and a path above the water. The lakes are described as ecologically fragile, so keep to paths and take litter away.
How far is Sattal from Nainital?
About 21 km and 49 minutes by road from the hub point on our routing, close to Bhimtal. Wikipedia counts Sattal among the four main lakes of Kumaon with Nainital, Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal. We have no verified boating or kayak prices, so ask on the shore and agree the cost first.