Hemis National Park

Hemis National Park is a high-altitude protected area in the eastern Ladakh region of northern India, established to conserve subalpine and alpine ecosystems and wildlife. It covers a large area of mountain valleys and plateaus at elevations commonly between 3,000 and 6,000 metres.

The park is best known for its population of snow leopard and other cold-adapted species such as Himalayan blue sheep (bharal), Tibetan wolf and the kiang. Rugged valleys, high passes and remote grazing lands are the primary landscape features visitors encounter.

Hemis was designated a national park to protect these species and the traditional pastoral landscapes used by local communities; conservation measures and controlled access help manage human-wildlife interactions. The site also contains culturally important monastic sites.

Located in eastern Ladakh, the park sits in the rain-shadowed interior of the Trans-Himalaya and includes parts of the Changthang plateau; the town of Leh is the nearest regional centre for access and logistics.

• Size and purpose: The park was created to protect high-altitude wildlife and pastoral landscapes and covers roughly 4,400 square kilometres, making it one of India's largest high-altitude protected areas.
• Hemis festival: The annual Hemis festival at the monastery, usually held in June, is a major cultural event featuring masked cham dances and attracts local pilgrims and visitors.

What to See #

• Hemis Monastery: A Tibetan Buddhist monastery founded in the 17th century that lies within the park and hosts the annual masked Hemis festival each summer.