Overa National Park

Overa National Park, located at a distance of 76 km from Srinagar, sprawls over an area of 32.27 sq. km. Popularly known as Overa-Aru Biosphere Reserve, the altitude of this park varies from 3,000 m to 5,425 m. This park is a habitat for several rare and endangered species, which include the hangul, musk deer and other animals.  

Overa National Park is home to 13 registered species of mammals along with 80 registered species of birds. This national park has a rich diversity of wildlife as well as beautiful species of pheasants.  

The national park has thick vegetation, out of which around 90% comprises dense forests consisting of conifers. Some of the major trees covering the area of this national park include abies pindrow, aesculus indica, cedrus deodara and pinus griffithii. In addition, the park is rich in shrubs like indigofera heterantha, viburnum spp. and sorbaria tomentosa. The herbs that can be found in this park include dicotyledonous herbs like rumex patientia, primula spp. and anemone spp.

Overa National Park is abode to different wildlife varieties, some of which include musk deer, serow and others  

In addition, tourists visiting the national park can also spot animals like leopard, leopard cat and Himalayan mouse hare.

For bird lovers, this national park is home to around 80 species of birds. Some of the major species of birds that can be spotted in this national park include jungle crow, red billed chough, griffon vulture and others.  

The best time to visit the upper area of this national park is from May to August, while March to May is the ideal time to visit the lower areas. The months of March to May are the perfect time for birdwatching, while for wildlife spotting, months of September to March are ideal.