Dachingam National Park Hike: Faint Hanguls, Sprained Ankles

Spotting hanguls (Kashmir Stag)?

That should be easy… Deer usually just graze around and the easiest type of large mammals to spot inside a national park as they remain steady… or so I thought.

I was mentally geared up for an easy wildlife outing although Kashmir is a mountainous state. I took the flight from Delhi and reached Srinagar on a bitterly cold and gloomy February afternoon. As my friends coming from Bangalore had a delayed flight, I had a extended wait outside the airport braving the chilly winds. Anyway, they eventually arrived and we also contacted the driver drive towards our homestay, which was a nice comfortable Kashmiri home near the entry point of Dachigam National Park.

Dachigam National Park, located 22 kilometers from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India, spans 141 square kilometers in the Zabarwan Range of the western Himalayas. Its name, meaning “ten villages,” honors the settlements relocated for its creation in 1910. Initially a hunting reserve under the Maharaja, it became a national park in 1981, dedicated to preserving its biodiversity and ensuring clean water for Srinagar via the Dagwan River, which originates from Marsar Lake. The park’s topography is diverse, with elevations ranging from 1,600 to 4,200 meters above sea level. It features gently sloping grasslands, steep rocky cliffs, deep gullies known as “Nars,” and alpine meadows. This varied terrain, divided into Upper and Lower Dachigam, supports a rich ecosystem. Coniferous forests dominate, interspersed with broadleaf species, alpine pastures, and cascading waterfalls, creating a dramatic landscape.

There are around 50 tree species, 20 shrub types, and 500 herbs. Notable trees include wild cherry, pear, plum, peach, apple, apricot, walnut, oak, pine, and birch, while shrubs like berberis and indigofera add texture. In spring and summer, vibrant wildflowers, such as blue poppies, blanket the meadows, enhancing the park’s scenic allure. Tthe endangered Hangul (Kashmir stag), a red deer subspecies endemic to the region, is the crown jewel of Dachigam. Other residents include Himalayan black and brown bears, leopards, musk deer, and yellow-throated martens. Birdlife dazzles with over 150 species, including the Himalayan monal, golden oriole, and Kashmir flycatcher, making it a birder’s paradise.

The next morning, after breakfast we met our guide Shabir and drove towards the park in his car. I quickly realised that normal visitors can explore very limited parts of the park and don’t get to see much. However, we were privileged as our experienced guide had organized for something more serious. As a matter of fact, most other people we met were not too excited about spotting hanguls as they had been absent for several weeks. However, our guide was adamant. He probably had sort of a sixth sense.

We hopped into his car and drove through the gates of the park and reached a point beyond which no vehicles were allowed. It was still winter but the snowfall hadn’t been as heavy as expected. As a result, the Hanguls hadn’t come down from the higher reaches. Usually,heavy snowfall is the best bet for wildlife enthusiasts as it makes the large mammals come down in search of food.

Anyway, Shabir had promised to give the best shot of finding Hanguls and I was elated by his confidence. However, soon I realised that it also means he’s going to push us higher up in the hope of sighting.

Dachigam had its own charm in winter with brownish yellow vegetation with literal icing. We left the jungle trail and suddenly started climbing up the stairs on the left and after a couple of minutes we reached  a bit higher up with a faint trail going further up. Much higher mountains could be seen on the horizon and our guide said that if we are lucky then something may be seen out there atop the hills after we do some strenuous trekking.

I did not look very promising. Besides, I wasn’t even in a mood for a trek. I wasn’t feeling fit enough after a long, inactive winter. Anyway, I generally trek in the summer. Winter hike with heavy clothing is something I’ve never enjoyed. Also, since teb snowfall hasn’t been heavy enough, there was no guarantee that we are going to see anything even after the hardwork. Anyway, my friends were more enthusiastic (they were also carrying 600 mm zooms compared to my 300mm… So had better probability of success).

The hills here were covered with thick grass that reminded me of western ghat sholas or for that matter the Emuli Grasslands or Dong hike.  We reached a slightly higher ground from where we could see the river on one side and the peaks on the other side were a bit closer too. The grass was so thick that even walking through them was a task and after a bit of straight walk, we resumed the hike again to eventually reach a point where Shabir signalled us to not make any noise.  He pointed us to a distant point excitedly but I couldn’t see anything.

Others looked excited too and clicked pictures for with their longer zoom. We waited there for a while but I could not see anything. We hoped for the Hanguls to come closer but that didn’t happen. It was so bitterly cold and windy that I was actually beginning to lose interest. My newly bought shoes were also giving me discomfort. However, to my horror, Shabir announced that many other groups have not been as lucky as us and the Hanguls hadn’t even visited this side for months. So, we must try harder!

We came down to a gorge where we had to negotiate a patch of very thorny bushes and then started another steep climb, apparently to another viewpoint. The rest of the team went faster with while I struggles with my lost fitness as well as stubborn shoes and some ankle injuries I’d picked up earlier.

After half an hour of painful ascent I finally reached the point where the rest of them had already set up their cameras and clicking excitedly. It was extremely foggy and I was still struggling to see. I blindly clicked a pick following the directions of the guide and then when I zoomed in the frame on the screen, I saw an apparition that did look like a deer. Finally, I got some motivation back and decided to try harder.

Eventually my eyes managed to adjust with the surroundings and I managed to spot the one of them. It was apparently a female and didn’t have big antlers. After a while I spotted a couple more and eventually I managed to spot the big male with his majestic antlers, sitting and the ground and probably hoping for some sunshine.

We spent the next half an hour clicking sub par photographs through intsnese fog. Eventually the male stood up, allowing better shots, and then they disappeared beyond the ridge.

Just as we were planning to return, Shabir e again noticed something and now pointed towards the higher ridge on the opposite direction. We looked back and they were there… Watchers of the Wall surveying the intruders. There were at least 30 of them and we vlicked a few more.

Finally we started our descendant and that was also an ordeal. We took a different trail and it was pretty slippery. It took more than an hour to climb down the hill and reach the straighter path. There were various birds too but most of them were too small and disappeared quickly. Anyway, it was around 3 pm when we managed to wind up the trip and reach our homestay. Only to realised that we’d forgotten to ask them for lunch. So, we went out looking for food but then I have no interest in writing about food and so, this post ends here.

Dachigam Travel Guide

How to Reach Dachigam?

It’s easy to reach. The gate is barely 20-25 KMs from Srinagar. You can find taxis easily.

Where to Stay in Dachigam?

There are some family run homestays near the entry gate mentioned above. Otherwise, you can just base yourself in Srinagar city as it is not that far.

Do we need guides?

Of course. You can’t do it without guides.

How far can we go into the Park?

Generally tourists do not get to go too far inside and can just walk to the fisherie which is a very generic and unexciting proposition. You need the guide with right contacts to fix the programs if you want to hike the interiors.

What is a Good season?

Different season has different delights. Most people will recommend Spring and Summer for great views, which are great seasons for Kashmir anyway. Howerver, winters are ideal if you want to spot larg mallams like hanguls as they come down during this season in search of food.