Khaliya Bugyal is a
Bugyal
Bugyals are alpine pasture lands, or meadows in India, in higher elevation range between and of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, where they are called "nature’s own gardens". The topography of the terrain is either flat or s ...
(Himalayan Alpine Meadow) in the
Pithoragarh district
Pithoragarh district is the easternmost district in the state of Uttarakhand. It is located in the Himalayas and has an area of and a population of 483,439 (as of 2011). The city of Pithoragarh, located in Saur Valley, is its headquarters. Th ...
of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
. Khaliya Bugyal is a
trekking
Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey and may involve camping outdoors. In North America, tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain hu ...
and
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
destination. The Bugyal has the highest elevation of 3709m and is around 16 km from
Munsiyari
Munsyari ( Kumaoni: ''Munsyār'') is the name of the sub-division headquarters, a municipal board, a conglomeration of revenue villages and it also refers to the entire region as Munsiyari Tehsil and Sub Division in the Pithoragarh District in ...
. Khaliya Bugyal is situated between the snowy peaks and the forests of
Deodar,
Pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae.
''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...
and
Rhododendrons
''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan region, b ...
.
The best time to visit the Khaliya Bugyal is either in the Spring or the Winters. In springs, there is greenery of the grasslands and red and pink rhododendron. The Khaliya Bugyal is a destination for nature photographers and bird watchers. In winters, the bugyal turns into snow land and skiing activities take place at Khaliya Bugyal organised by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. The Trek to Khaliya Bugyal starts from
Munsiyari
Munsyari ( Kumaoni: ''Munsyār'') is the name of the sub-division headquarters, a municipal board, a conglomeration of revenue villages and it also refers to the entire region as Munsiyari Tehsil and Sub Division in the Pithoragarh District in ...
and is a 5–6 km trek from its starting point. One can see views of
Kumaon Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
including
Nanda Kot
Nanda Kot ( Kumaoni-नन्दा कोट) is a mountain peak of the Himalaya range located in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state in India. It lies in the Kumaon Himalaya, just outside the ring of peaks enclosing the Nanda Devi ...
and
Panchachuli
The Panchachuli (पंचाचुली) peaks are a group of five snow-capped Himalayan peaks lying at the end of the eastern Kumaon region, near the Dugtu village in Darma valley. The peaks have altitudes ranging from to . They form t ...
peaks from Khaliya Bugyal.
References
Geography of Pithoragarh district
Montane grasslands and shrublands
{{Uttarakhand-geo-stub