It is the largest national park in Nepal situated in the Trans-Himalayan region of northwest Nepal, covering an area of 3, 555 square kilometers. The park sits astride the Dolpa and Mugu districts in the western Nepal. Established in 1984, the Shey Phoksundo National Park has been successful in preserving unique Trans-Himalayan enriched ecosystem with flora and fauna diversity. The park is blessed with altitude variations from 2, 130 meters to 6,883 meters paving its way for climatic differences and different geographical regions. The park supports a diverse range of biotic systems. The surrounding area of 1349 km which consists of forests and private lands has also been declared as buffer zone.
The southern part of the park is dominated by the monsoon rains with 1500 mm of precipitation annually, while the northern steppes record only 500 mm precipitation in a year. The flora of the park includes pine, walnut, willow, oak, poplar and cypress in the lower southern parts. In the higher reaches, pine, spruce, juniper and birch dominate. Less than five percent of the park area is forested and much of it is lying in the southern part of it. The vegetation and the topography supports good population of the blue ship, ghoral, musk deer, leopard, wild dog, marmot, and mouse hare etc. The park is the home to six species of reptiles and 29 species of butterfly including the highest flying butterfly in the world, Paralasa Nepalaica. Over 200 species of bird have inhabited the park.
Entry Fee Per Person Per Entry:
For Nepalese Nationals, Free
For SAARC Nationals, Rs. 100/-
For Other Nationals, Rs. 1,000/-
Access:
The most common way to reach the park is via Juphal airstrip where you can reach by air from Nepalgunj. A half day trek from the airstrip takes you to the park’s entrance gate. You can also fly to Jumla from where it is a 10 day hike to the Phoksundo and Shey areas. The best time to visit this park is from April to November.
Note:
Entrance fee not required for children under 10 years.
Park Entrance fees are regulated by Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (Phone: 4220850).
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