About 30–33 km from Almora, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is a dense oak and rhododendron forest spread over roughly 45 sq. km around a high ridge. Inside the sanctuary, trails lead through thick forest to Zero Point (Jhandi Dhar), the highest viewpoint, where on a clear day you can see a grand sweep of Himalayan peaks including Kedarnath, Trishul, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot and Panchachuli. The sanctuary is rich in birds—over 200 species have been recorded—as well as mammals like leopard, goral, barking deer and langur. Quiet forest rest houses and eco-lodges make it a favourite for nature lovers and photographers who base themselves in Almora and then head up to Binsar for day trips or overnight stays.
About this place
History & highlights
Historically, Binsar was the summer capital of the Chand kings, who ruled Kumaon from the 11th to 18th centuries, and later the British used it as a cool season retreat. Old estates like Grand Oak Manor and the Khali estate still echo that colonial hill-station history. Concern about rapid deforestation led the Uttarakhand forest department to declare Binsar a wildlife sanctuary in 1988, specifically to protect the shrinking broad-leaf oak forests of the Central Himalaya. Since then, controlled tourism, birdwatching, trekking and environmental education have turned Binsar into a flagship conservation success story linked with Almora. For many visitors, “Almora” and “Binsar” are experienced as a single combined destination: town for culture and markets, sanctuary for forest and mountain views.
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