National Parks of Nepal
| Royal Chitwan National Park | Rara National Park |
| Shey Phoksundo National Park | Royal Bardia National Park |
| Khaptad National Park | Langtang National Park |
| Sagarmatha National Park | Shivapuri National Park |
Royal Chitwan National Park
This is one of the most popular national parks in Nepal. The park is situated in the sub-tropical lowlands of southern Nepal, lying between two mountain ranges, the Shivalik and the Mahabharat range.
This is the natural habitat of endangered animals like Bengal tigers, one-horned rhinoceros, gharial crocodile, gaur (the world's largest wild cattle), four species of deer, leopards, wild dogs, fishing cats, leopard cats, python and Gangetic dolphin. There are over 50 species of mammals and 450 species of birds in the park.
Today the tourists can ride elephants and view the wild animals at close range.
Sagarmatha National Park
This is the highest national park in the world, with the entire park located above 3,000 m ( 9,700 ft). This park includes three peaks higher than 8,000 m, including Mt Everest.
The Sagarmatha National Park is one of the most beautiful places on the Earth, especially in summer. After the first monsoon rains in June, the hillsides become green and different varieties of flowers start blooming, and butterflies of myriad species appear in different colors.
118 species of birds and 26 species of butterflies have made this park their home.
Langtang National Park
Located about 32 km (20 miles) north of Kathmandu, this park consists of the beautiful Langtang Valley, and several high altitude glacial lakes. One of the famous lakes is Gosainkunda, which is a sacred lake for Hindu pilgrims. People from the plains come every year to bathe in this icy cold lake in August. This park also includes more than 40 villages.
Rara National Park
From the east, the high pass of Bul-Bhulei (12,000 ft) forms the gateway to the Rara National Park. Rara is one of the favourite National Parks of Nepal, spread out over 44 square kilometers.
This park is named after a lake called Rara. This is one the biggest lakes in Nepal, covering an area of about 15 square kilometers at an elevation of 2,990 m ( 9,717 ft). The Rara Lake, formed on a plateau, is surrounded by beautiful forests of pine and fir forests. Exotic birds and rare wildlife can be seen in this protected area. This sweet-water lake is said to be 145 meters deep at the center and has a few streams flowing into it.
The Rara National Park was established to protect the unique beauty of the lake and to preserve the surrounding ecosystem. The lake is the home of water birds found in this area. This park has Himalayan bears, Himalayan thar, musk deer and snow leopards.
Makalu Barun National Park:
This national park lies in the wilderness at the eastern border of Mount Everest National Park and is more remote.
it contains more than 3,000 flowering plants. Also about 67 species of medicinal plants and aromatic plants are to be found here. This park is the home of more than 50 species of animals and 400 species of birds.
Shey Phoksundo National Park
This is the largest national park in Nepal and stretches over the Trans Himalayan region. This park represents a whole range of climates that are found in Nepal. This is the only park in Nepal where the Tibetan desert type of fauna and flora are found.
The wild animals that are found here are Tibetan hare, Himalayan weasels, Himalayan black and brown bear, blue sheep, wild yak, Tibetan antelope, wild yak and different varieties of pheasants.
Khaptad National Park
This park is situated in the far western mountains of Nepal. It was established mainly for religious purposes. A Hindu guru called Khaptad Swami -- also a naturalist -- has been living in this secluded area for many years. It was because of his efforts that an area of about 225 square kilometers (89 square miles) was set aside as a national park. Most of the park has been designated as a sacred forest.
This park mainly consists of rolling hills covered with pastures and oak and coniferous forests.
Royal Bardiya National Park
This park is situated in western Nepal to the south of the Shivalik range. The vegetation and wild life found in this park are similar to those of the Royal Chitwan National Park. In addition, the wild elephant and swamp deer are also found here. Rhinos in this area became extinct a long time ago. Therefore, 13 rhinoceros were captured in Chitwan National Park and introduced in this park. There is a greater chance of viewing tigers.