Shivapuri Nagarkot Trek
The Shivapuri and Nagarkot Village Trek is one of the finest trekking routes within The Kathmandu valley.Though it is only 25kms from Kathmandu, it provides a very good insight into the village life and culture to be found within the valley and Shivapuri village (2729m) is a wonderful example of the true spirit of Nepalese hospitality. The trek is named after the Shivapuri National Park, the nearest National Park from the International Airport just 25 kms away. The trek is likely to especially appeal to nature and bird lovers as there is so much flora and fauna on hand, very few tourists are on the trail and therefor nature is often “close up”.
Shivapuri hill (2729m) is the highest point of the trek, from the top of Shivapuri there are some fantastic mountain views including Mt. Manaslu,The Ganesh Himal Range and The Langtang Range.Our final trekking destination is Nagarkot, a popular resort type hill town where once again the views of the Himalayas are there in full splendour, especially at sunrise and sunset.Shivapuri National Park as it is now known was established as The Shivapuri Watershed Reserve in 1976,renamed The Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve (SWWR) in 1984, before being granted National Park status a few years later.
Since Shivapuri lies in the transition zone between a subtropical and a temperate climate, the vegetation consists of a variety of natural forest types, depending on altitude variation.The area is also known for the medicinal herbs that are found at higher altitudes. A hundred and twenty nine species of mushrooms have been identified and catalogued by the Shivapuri National Park.
Among the wild animals, Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), Pallas’s Cat (Felis manul), Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha), Himalayan Yellow Throated Marten (Martes flavigula), Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Goral (Nemorhaedus goral), Indian Porcupine (Hystris indica), and Common Langur (Presbytis entellus) have been spotted in or around the park. Numerous birds, butterflies and lizards are also prevelant and 177 species of birds of which 9 are listed as endangered have also been recorded.