Rara National Park – Home to the largest lake of Nepal

Rara National Park is situated in the north-western high mountains of Nepal and covered an area of 106 km2 which extends in Mugu and Jumla districts. Among other national park in Nepal It is the smallest National Park in the country but holds the biggest lake and situated at an elevation of 2990 meters in Mugu district.

This beautiful natural lake is oval in shape with the longest length of 5.1 km, a maximum width of 3 km, a surface area of 10.8 km2, and 167 m in depth. In Rara National Park The highest point of the Park is the Chuchemara peak which is at 4097m elevation. The unique landscapes and the Rara lake are major attractions of the Park for foreign and domestic tourists.

This lake is surrounded by magnificent forests. The lake is fed by around 20 small tributaries coming from all around the lake watershed and drained to Mugu–Karnali river. The color of the lake depends upon the sky that’s why the lake color looks like changing from time to time. During winter, about 49 species of migratory birds can be seen in the lake. The elevation of the National Park ranges from 1800m to 4097m.

The buffer zone of the Rara National Park lies in Mugu and Jumla districts. The total population of the buffer zone is 13,876 (10,617 in Mugu and 3,259 in the Jumla district). The total number of households in the buffer zone is 2,548 (2,028 in Mugu and 520 in Jumla). The buffer zone has been divided into 10 user committees (7 user committees in Mugu and 3 in the Jumla district) based on geographic features. The nearest village from the Rara lake and the park headquarter is Murma.

The majority of the people belong to the Hindu religion and major ethnic groups are Chhetri, Thakuri, and Dalits. The major economic activities of the people are agriculture and animal husbandry. There are several ancient temples and shrines of local importance inside the Rara National Park viz. Rara Mahadev, Thakurnath Mahadev, Chhapru Mahadev, Lauda. Mahadev and Dopheswor Mahadev whereas Chhayanath, Rinmokshhya are other famous religious places in this region.

Rara National Park Major Attractions

• Rara Lake (largest lake of Nepal)
• Chuchemara peak (4097m), Murma top (3726m) and Ruma Kandh (3645m).
• Snow leopard, Musk deer, Red Panda and Himalayan Monal
• Himalayan flower in summer and snow falling in winter
• Chhapru Mahadev and Rara Mahadev (Temple)
• Local culture

Best Season to visit Rara National Park

The best season to visit Rara National Park Summer is pleasant. However, winter is quite cold. The best time to visit the park is from September to November and March to June. The average annual temperature in the last 10 years is a little over 11°C. The monthly Maximum and minimum mean temperature is 27°C and 4°C in June and December respectively.

From December to February, the temperature drops down below to freezing point, and occasional heavy snowfall accumulates up to 3-4 feet high. Pretty rainfall occurs from June to August and the park looks more beautiful in this season due to flowering plants. April normally sees the start of the warmer season which steadily increases to a pleasant temperature until September.

Accommodation and Facilities in Rara National Park

The accommodation and facilities in Rara National Park There are two hotels just near the park headquarter for visitor’s accommodations. Also, few hotels and tea shops are within 30 minutes walking distance from the headquarter. The camping site is available just near the park headquarter for visitors. There is a health post located at 30 minutes walking distance from the park headquarters for medical facilities but a comprehensive first aid kit including medicines for intestinal disorders is advised.

Tea shops and hotels are available in different places along the Jumla-area trekking route. There are fairly good trails around most parts of the park. Few view towers (Machan) are there to have a beautiful view of the lake and surrounding landscapes. There are Murma Top viewpoints at 3-4 hours trek from the Rara lake from where the complete view of the Rara lake and beautiful landscapes of the surroundings can be viewed.