What makes Uttarakhand’s Chopta a nature lover’s paradise?

With the summer season just around the corner, we will start to look for places where the weather is just right very soon. A place where we can relax, unwind and not think about the usual life back in the city, that’s what we are looking at. Also read: Uttarakhand’s Char Dham Yatra to begin in April​Chopta in Uttarakhand is one of the best places in the state where you can really find peace. A photographer’s delight, this spring/summer, add Chopta to your travel wishlist.Here is a little first-timer’s guide to Chopta.

Chopta is located in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand. It is just 80 km from the famous pilgrimage destination Kedarnath. Auli is a comfortable 148 km from Chopta.

Chopta is a part of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. You can go camping here but not without prior permission from the state forest department. Chopta is the base for Tungnath trek, which also involves the Chandrashila Trek (4000 m above sea level).

Chopta’s main features are the pretty bugyals or meadows. It’s quite common to see shepherds taking their flocks of sheep for grazing. It’s the bucolic scene that is so captivating.

More than 40 peaks can be seen from Chopta. Some of the most famous ones are Trishul, Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Bandarpoonch, Tirsuli, Nilkantha, Meru, Sumeru and Ganesh Parwat to name a few.

You will see the village dogs wearing unique collars that look and feel more like a neck brace than a dog collar. That’s to protect the dogs from leopard attacks. So, now we know, there are leopards in Chopta! Also, it is a birding paradise. With more than 240 species of birds, it will keep a birder busy.

Chopta is best from April to June and September to November. Avoid the monsoon season as the region experiences a lot of landslides.