Photo: Anil Bhatta · CC BY-SA 4.0National Parks / Khaptad
Est. 1984 · A sacred plateau
A rolling plateau of meadows and forest in Nepal's far west — as celebrated for its spiritual peace as for its wildflowers and wildlife.
Khaptad is a national park unlike any other in Nepal — a rolling, open plateau of grassy meadows and forest in the far-western mid-hills, as renowned for its spiritual significance as for its nature.
Covering 225 km² across the Bajhang, Bajura, Achham and Doti districts, it ranges through subtropical to subalpine zones. The park was established in 1984 on the advice of Khaptad Baba — a revered hermit who moved to the plateau in the 1940s to meditate and lived there as a spiritual saint for some 50 years.
His ashram remains a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of visitors each year, and the plateau holds deep religious importance.
Photo: Anil Bhatta · CC BY-SA 4.0The Plateau
Unlike Nepal's dramatic peaks or steaming lowlands, Khaptad is a landscape of green rolling hills, open grassy meadows (patans) and patches of forest, set at a comfortable elevation. The summer climate is famously mild — rarely below 0°C or above 20°C — making the plateau a serene, restorative place quite distinct from the rest of the park system.
Wildlife
Khaptad's varied vegetation supports a range of mammals, birds and butterflies.
Photo: Jenis Patel · CC BY-SA 4.0Forest mammals range across the wooded slopes.
Photo: Ganesh Mohan T · CC BY-SA 4.0Present in the park's forests alongside barking deer and ghoral.
Photo: Pratap Gurung · CC BY-SA 4.0The meadows and forests host over 270 bird species and abundant butterflies and wildflowers.
Photo: Bharatadhikarimb · CC BY-SA 4.0Spiritual Sites
Khaptad is dotted with sacred places: the Khaptad Baba ashram; Sahasra Linga, the park's highest point; Triveni, where three streams meet; and nearby sites like Saileshwari and Ramaroshan linked to Hindu scripture. Within the park, alcohol, smoking and the slaughter of animals are prohibited out of respect for its sanctity.
Visiting
Khaptad rewards those who make the effort to reach Nepal's far west.
Trails wind across the patans between forest, meadow and shrine.
The ashram and sacred sites draw spiritual visitors each year.
Monsoon and autumn bring spectacular meadow blooms.
Reference
Thirteen parks, one extraordinary country.