The Valley of Flowers National Park is located in the west Himalayas and is known for its enchanting meadows, alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty. The park is also home to rare and endangered species of animals which include the Asiatic Black Bear, Snow Leopard, Brown Bear and Blue Sheep.
The Valley of Flowers is a beautiful valley that has also been acknowledged by many renowned mountaineers and naturalists from all over the world. The meadows are absolutely gorgeous to look at and the wilderness is a thing which should be experienced to be believed. This National Park is not only known nationally but it is important internationally as well, mainly because of its diverse alpine flora and its biogeographic zone.
The Valley of Flowers was declared a National Park in the year 1982. The area where the park is located falls on the Zanskar range of the Himalayas with the highest point in the National Park being Gauri Parbat, located at an altitude of 6,719 metres above sea level.
The Valley of Flowers, was first introduced to the world by Frank S. Smythe, who was a mountaineer, explorer, botanist who camped here for several weeks during the monsoon of 1937 and also did some exploratory work as well. The book titled "Valley of Flowers" is authored by him which uncovers the beauty of the place. Reaching the Valley of Flowers can be quite a tough task, specially because one has to trek 17kms. to reach the place. The major town which is situated nearest to the Valley of Flowers is Joshimath in Garhwal. From Joshimath, one has to take a vehicle to reach within 17 kms. of the valley.
The Valley of Flowers has many species of beautiful flowers. The flowers found here have medicinal properties as well. Some of the species of flowers that are found here are Anemone, Geranium, Marsh, Marigold, Primula, Potentilla, Geum, Aster. Lilium, Himalayan blue poppy, Aconite, Delphinium, Ranunculus, Corydalis, Inula, Saussurea Abvallata, Campanula. Pedicularis, Trysimum, Morina, Impetiens, Bistorta. Ligularia. Anaphalis Saxifraga, Lobelia, Thermophis, Trolises. Aquilogia, Codonopsis. Dactylorhiza and Cypripedium.
Apart from beautiful flowers, one can also find a rich diversity of wildlife in the valley. Some of the animals found in this valley are the Himalayan Musk Deer and Yellow throated Marten, Snow Leopards, Blue Sheep, etc.
