Rara National Park is surrounded by an area of 106 sq km, established in 1976.
Rara is located in north-west Nepal 371km by air from Kathmandu. Most of the park including Lake Rara, lies in the Mugu District; a small area in the Jumla District of the Karnali Zone. This is the smallest park in Nepal, it contains the country’s biggest lake (10.8 sq km) at an elevation of 2990m.
Park elevations range from 1800m to 4048m. The park contains mainly coniferous forest with the area around the lake dominated by blue pine, back juniper; west Himalayan spruce, oak, Himalayan cypress and other associated species. From 3350m pine and spruce give way to fir, oak and birch. Deciduous tree species include Indian chestnut, walnut and Himalayan popula. A small portion of the park serves as an ideal habitat for musk deer, other animals native to the park include Himalayan black bear, leopard, goral, Himalayan tahr, and wild boar.
The only fish species recorded in the lake is the Snow Trout. Resident Gallinaceous birds and migrant waterfowl are a major attraction for park visitors with the great-crested grebe, black-necked grebe, and red-crested pochard residing during winter. Other common birds are the snow cock, chukor partridge, impeyuan pheasant, kalij pheasant and blood pheasant.
Park elevations range from 1800m to 4048m. The park contains mainly coniferous forest with the area around the lake dominated by blue pine, back juniper; west Himalayan spruce, oak, Himalayan cypress and other associated species. From 3350m pine and spruce give way to fir, oak and birch. Deciduous tree species include Indian chestnut, walnut and Himalayan popula. A small portion of the park serves as an ideal habitat for musk deer, other animals native to the park include Himalayan black bear, leopard, goral, Himalayan tahr, and wild boar.
The only fish species recorded in the lake is the Snow Trout. Resident Gallinaceous birds and migrant waterfowl are a major attraction for park visitors with the great-crested grebe, black-necked grebe, and red-crested pochard residing during winter. Other common birds are the snow cock, chukor partridge, impeyuan pheasant, kalij pheasant and blood pheasant.
