Rara National Park

Rara National Park is a protected area in the Himalayas of Nepal and was established in 1976. Covering an area of 106km2 in the Mugu and Jumla districts, it is the country's smallest national park. Its main feature is Rara Lake at an altitude of 2990m. The park was established to protect the unique flora and fauna of the Humla–Jumla Region of Nepal.The park ranges in elevation from 2800m to 4039m at Chuchemara Peak on the southern side of Rara Lake. On the northern side, the peaks of Ruma Kand and Malika Kand frame the alpine freshwater lake, which is the largest lake in Nepal with a surface of 10.8km2 and a maximum depth of 167m. It is oval-shaped with an east–west axis, a length of 5km and a width of 3km draining into the Mugu-Karnali River via Nijar Khola.Rara National Park is managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and protected with the assistance of the Nepal Army.ClimateThe climate of Rara National Park is pleasant during the summer, but becomes very cold during the winter, because of the altitude. The best times to visit the park are in September, October, April, and May. During the winter, temperatures drop below freezing, and many high passes become blocked by snow. The summer is warm, but June to August is monsoon season, making the trek to Rara National Park difficult.VegetationOne thousand and seventy species of flora are estimated from Rara National Park. Rhododendron, fir, brown oak, and birch species are found in the sub-alpine region. Below 3200m, the vegetation consists of mainly blue pine (Pinus excelsa), rhododendron (Rhododendron arboretum), west Himalayan spruce, black juniper and Himalayan cypress. Above, the vegetation changes to a coniferous forest consisting of a mixture of fir, spruce and pine.