List of National Parks of Pakistan – Facts, Location & More

Pakistan is a country that is truly blessed with majestic mountains, beautiful hill stations, lush green plains, a variety of exotic flora & fauna, and much much more.
Luckily, Pakistan is also blessed with some of the largest national parks in the world. To know more about these parks, keep on reading.
What is a National Park?
A national park is not a traditional park having fences, few swings, and gardens. The national park is a land reserve that is usually owned by the government. The primary purpose of a national park is the preservation and protection of endangered species of flora and fauna.
National Parks of Pakistan
Globally, there are around 6,555 national parks. Out of these 6,555 parks, 21 parks are situated in Pakistan. These national parks cover about 29,589 km² of the area which is roughly about 3 % of the total area (10,060,96 km²) of the country. Lal Sohanra is the first national park to be established in Pakistan. It was established in 1972 to save endangered species from hunting and environmental hazards.
List of National Parks in Pakistan
National Park in Pakistan | Year of Inception | District | Province |
1. Fairy Meadows National Park | 2020 | Diamer District | Gilgit-Baltistan |
2. Toli Pir | 2005 | Poonch | Azad Kashmir |
3. Saiful Maluk National Park | 2003 | Mansehra | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
4. Margalla Hills | 1980 | Islamabad, Rawalpindi | Punjab |
5. Manglot National Park | 1990 | Nowshera | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
6. Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park | 2003 | Mansehra | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
7. Kirthar National Park | 1974 | Dadu | Sindh |
1. Fairy Meadows National Park
Fairy Meadows is a beautiful region located near the base campsite of the Nanga Parbat, located in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is also known as the Jaugth among the local people. Fairy meadows were named after the german climbers. The region has an altitude of about 3,300 meters (10,800 ft) above sea level and it acts as a starting point for trekkers summiting on the Rakhiot face of the Nanga Parbat.
Fairy Meadows was given the status of a national park in 1995. The place can be reached through a 15 kilometer-long jeepable trek starting from Raikhot bridge on Karakoram Highway to the village Tato.
Fairy Meadows is one of the most famous tourist destinations as well. Its tourist season lasts six months, starting from April to September. The international and local tourists stay at the campsite which is spread across 800 hectares (2,000 acres), known as “Raikot Serai”. The grassland also has thick alpine meadows. The area also has different types of trees including Pinus wallichiana, Picea smithiana, and Abies pindrow trees.
Year of Inception: 2020
Location: Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan
2. Toli Peer
The next national park on our list is Toli Peer. It is a hill station located in Tehsil Rawalakot in the Poonch District of Azad Kashmir. The place has an elevation of around 8800 feet above sea level. It is around 30 kilometers away from Rawalakot and the Poonch river in Pakistan can be viewed from Toli Pir as well.
Toli Peer is the highest mountain in the northeastern region of Rawalakot. The best time to visit Toli Peer is during the summer months because the weather gets colder from October to March.
Year of Inception: 2005
Location: Poonch, Azad Kashmir
3. Saiful Maluk National Park
Saiful Maluk National Park is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Pakistan. It is located in the Kaghan Valley in Mansehra District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, in northern Pakistan. The park was inaugurated in 2003 and is situated near the famous Saif ul Maluk Lake.
Apart from the gorgeous lake, the park also has a wide variety of flora to offer including trees, shrubs, perennials, and herbs. The national park also houses several animal species including snow leopard, Asiatic black bear, marmot, weasel, Eurasian lynx, Indian leopard, Himalayan snowcock, and the snow partridge.
Year of Inception: 2003
Location: Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
4. Margalla Hills National Park
Margalla Hills national park is located at the heart of the capital of Pakistan. The park is situated at the foot of Margalla hills along the Shakarparian Park and Rawal Lake. The national park was established in 1980 and is considered to be one of the largest national parks in the world, having an area of 17,386 hectares (42,960 acres).
Margalla National Park is one of the most visited places in Islamabad, owing to its proximity to famous places including Daman-e-Koh, Pir Sohawa, Shakarparian Cultural Complex, and Lake View Park. This park in Islamabad is known among the masses for its vast selection of fauna including grey goral, barking deer, and the Leopard. In short, Margalla Hills National Park is home to around 600 plant species, 402 bird varieties, 38 mammals, and 27 species of reptiles.
Year of Inception: 1980
Location: Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Punjab
5. Manglot National Park
Manglot National Park is a beautiful National Park situated in the heart of Kyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was established in 1990 and acts as a natural sanctuary for wildlife. The park is spread across 1,756 acres including hilltops and the plain area near the Indus River in Nizampur, Nowshera. If you have a knack for history, explore historical places in Pakistan.
The flora of the park primarily consists of scrubs such as olive trees, Acacia Modesta, zizyphus nummelaria, olea cuspidata, deodonia viscose, and monothica boxifolia. These are some of the floras that are abundantly found in the area. Some of the animals that are found in abundance include Chinkara, hog deer, common leopard, wolf, wild boar, jackal, porcupine, and hare.
Year of Inception: 1990
Location: Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
6. Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park
Lulusar-Dodipat National Park is situated in the Kaghan Valley in the Mansehra District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The park was established in 2003 the safeguard endangered flora and fauna.
Some of the famous flora found in the park include trees, shrubs, perennials, and herbs of the Himalayan range. The park also houses many animals including snow leopard, black bear, marmot, weasel, lynx, leopard, Himalayan snowcock, and the snow partridge. If you are adventurous, explore the deserts in Pakistan.
The park is easily accessible by the road through cars and motorbikes.
Saiful Muluk National Park, with Lake Saiful Muluk, is adjacent to Lulusar-Dodipat National Park in the Kaghan Valley region. So when you are out to see Lulusar national park, do not forget to pay a visit to Lake Saiful Muluk.
Year of Inception: 2003
Location: Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
7. Kirthar National Park
The Kirthar National Park is one of the major national parks in Pakistan that is located in the Kirthar Mountains in Jamshoro District in Sindh, Pakistan. The park was formed in 1974 and covers an area of around 3,087 square kilometers (1,192 sq mi).
Kirthar National Park is also the third-largest park in Pakistan. The park is easily accessible by cars and jeeps. For the accommodation, there are two guest houses for the tourists.
The park’s fauna includes Persian leopards, striped hyenas, Indian wolves, ratels, urials, chinkara gazelles, and rare Sind wild goats. Birds found in the park include Bonelli’s eagle, Imperial eagle, Tawny eagle, Golden eagle, Griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, Cinereous vulture, Laggar falcon, Red-necked falcon, Common kestrel, Crowned sandgrouse, Houbara bustard, Grey partridge, See-see partridge, Stone-curlew, Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, Lichtenstein’s sandgrouse, Painted sandgrouse, Indian eagle-owl, Sind woodpecker, Hume’s wheatear, Long-billed Pipit, Crested bunting, Desert lark, Hoopoe, and Grey-backed shrike.
Year of Inception: 1974
Location: Dadu, Sindh
So, these are some of the most famous national parks in Pakistan. These parks are known among the masses for their exotic flora and fauna. If you are a fan of adventures and loves exploring the wildlife, you need to visit these parks.
There are also some other parks in Pakistan that attracts tourist for its beauty and scenic views like visiting Deosai National Park.
If you have any queries regarding the parks, leave us a comment in the comment section below.
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