Photo: Craig Taylor · CC BY-SA 2.0National Parks / Makalu Barun
Est. 1992 · Tropical forest to 8,463 m
The only protected area on Earth that climbs from tropical forest to the summit of an 8,000-metre peak — wrapped around Mount Makalu, the world's fifth-highest mountain.
Photo: Craig Taylor · CC BY-SA 2.0The Landscape
From the Arun river valley in the south-east — as low as about 344 m — the land climbs more than 8,000 m to the summit of Makalu. This extraordinary gain makes Makalu Barun the only protected area on Earth that encloses tropical forest and snow-capped peaks within a single boundary, stacking ecosystems from subtropical to nival in one continuous sweep.
Wildlife
The park's vast altitude range supports rich biodiversity, from forest mammals to high-alpine specialists.
Photo: Tambako The Jaguar (edit by Niabot) · CC BY-SA 2.0The apex predator of the high crags and ridgelines.
Vulnerable
Photo: Christian Mehlführer (edit by Böhringer) · CC BY 2.5A resident of the temperate bamboo and rhododendron forests.
Endangered
Photo: Gurung Pratap · CC BY-SA 4.0Musk deer, Himalayan tahr, wild boar and clouded leopard among many others.
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0Mountains
The rugged summits within the park include Makalu (8,463 m), the world's fifth-highest mountain, along with Chamlang (7,319 m), Baruntse (7,129 m) and Mera Peak (6,654 m). The park extends about 66 km west to east and 44 km north to south, sharing its northern border with the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve of Tibet and adjoining Sagarmatha National Park to the west.
Visiting
One of Nepal's least-developed and most pristine trekking regions.
A demanding, remote trek through the Arun and Barun valleys to the foot of Makalu.
A glacial valley of waterfalls, forest and alpine meadow, prized for its untouched character.
Park entry permit required; the area is remote with limited facilities — come prepared.
Reference