Photo: Birendra Singh Bhat · CC BY-SA 4.0National Parks / Hill / Shivapuri Nagarjun
Est. 2002 · Above the Kathmandu Valley
The forested green wall on the northern rim of the Kathmandu Valley — a vital watershed, leopard habitat, and the capital's nearest escape into the wild.
Rising directly above the Kathmandu Valley, Shivapuri Nagarjun is the green wall that watches over Nepal's capital — a forested mid-hill park within sight of the city of a million people.
Established in 2002 as Nepal's ninth national park, it covers 159 km² across the Kathmandu, Nuwakot and Sindhupalchok districts, on the northern fringe of the valley. It is named after Shivapuri Peak (2,732 m), and adjoins 23 Village Development Committees, extending west toward Dhading.
The park is a vital water source for the Kathmandu Valley and a beloved escape into nature for the city's residents.
Photo: Birendra Singh Bhat · CC BY-SA 4.0The Landscape
The park's subtropical and temperate forests cloak steep hills rising from around 1,000 m to the 2,732 m summit of Shivapuri. Pine, oak, rhododendron and a rich understorey shelter the headwaters of streams that feed the valley's rivers. Its proximity to Kathmandu makes it one of Nepal's most accessible protected areas.
Wildlife
Despite bordering a major city, the park supports surprising biodiversity.
Photo: Jenis Patel · CC BY-SA 4.0The park's top predator, ranging the forested ridges above the valley.
Photo: Ganesh Mohan T · CC BY-SA 4.0Present alongside jungle cat, wild boar and barking deer.
Photo: Pratap Gurung · CC BY-SA 4.0A rich bird community and abundant butterflies draw naturalists from the city.
Visiting
The most accessible national park in Nepal — a day-trip from the capital.
Popular trails to Shivapuri Peak, Nagi Gompa and Bagdwar from the valley rim.
The Nagarjun side offers forest trails and a hilltop viewpoint (Jamacho).
Bagdwar, the source of the Bagmati, and monasteries within the forest.
Reference
Administration
Each park is managed on the ground by a chief warden who reports into Nepal's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC).
Wildlife & Ecology
Shivapuri Nagarjun is Nepal's most accessible national park — 159 km² on the northern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, a day-hike from the city. Established as Shivapuri National Park in 2002 and expanded in 2009 to include the Nagarjun forest, it protects the valley's primary watershed (supplying several hundred thousand cubic litres of water daily), 318 documented bird species and 2,122 floral species — and is one of the few capital-adjacent protected areas in Asia.
A medium-large spotted cat that lives in remarkably close proximity to one of South Asia's largest cities. Shivapuri's leopards regularly cross into surrounding settlements at night.
Solitary, nocturnal/crepuscular; well-adapted to forest-urban edge habitat.
Barking deer, wild boar, livestock and dogs on the periphery.
Mid-hill broadleaf and oak forest at 1,000–2,700 m.
Vulnerable globally; no published park-specific count, but documented as a resident breeding population.
Human-leopard conflict on the city edge is the central management issue — particularly in the Tokha, Budhanilkantha and Sundarijal buffer settlements. The park's existence buffers Kathmandu's drinking-water catchment as much as it protects the cat.
Effectively impossible to see; signs (scat, pugmarks) are the realistic encounter.
A medium-sized bear with the characteristic white V on the chest.
Mostly crepuscular; ranges widely; can be aggressive when surprised.
Fruit, nuts, insects, small mammals; occasionally livestock.
Upper forested slopes around Shivapuri Peak.
Vulnerable globally; park-specific count not published.
Uncommon; sign (claw marks on trees) is the realistic encounter.
A small forest deer with characteristic backward-pointing antlers in males.
Solitary or in small groups; ranges through dense understorey.
Leaves, shoots, fruit and grasses.
Throughout the forested park.
Least Concern globally; the most numerous deer in the park.
Heard more than seen; dawn around the Sundarijal–Chisapani trail is a reliable encounter.
A massive horned owl — one of the largest in the world — with rich brown markings and orange eyes.
Nocturnal; ambush hunter from rocky perches.
Small to mid-sized mammals and birds.
Rocky outcrops and forest edges in the upper Shivapuri reaches.
Least Concern globally; documented Shivapuri resident.
Heard at dusk; very occasionally seen on the upper trails.
318 bird species recorded — an unusually rich avifauna for a 159 km² mid-hill park, helped by Shivapuri's position on the Kathmandu Valley rim and its range from 1,000 m to 2,732 m. The park is on virtually every Kathmandu-based birder's regular list.
About 2,122 floral species recorded, with 16 endemic to the region. The forest types span subtropical pine to temperate oak and rhododendron, all within a day's drive of Kathmandu.
Plan Your Visit
Practical context for visitors arriving from another country — how to get here, how long to stay, what you'll actually see, and whether this park fits the trip you have in mind.
Shivapuri Nagarjun is the only national park whose boundary touches the Kathmandu Valley — its forest rim sits roughly 12 km north of the city centre and is reachable by taxi in 30–45 minutes. The park covers two distinct sections: the Shivapuri massif (a watershed forest behind Budhanilkantha) and the Nagarjun forest (the densely forested hill behind Swayambhu).
For visitors with a Kathmandu rest day before or after a bigger trek, Shivapuri Nagarjun is the genuine answer to 'where can I get into forest without losing a day on transit?' Day hikes lead to the Shivapuri summit (2,732 m), to the Bagmati and Bishnumati river headwaters, and along the Nagarjun forest trails. Wildlife is present but secretive; the experience is mostly forest, ridge views and pilgrimage points.
October to early May is the practical visiting window. Autumn has the clearest air and best mountain views from the ridge; spring brings rhododendron in patches of the upper forest. Monsoon (Jun–Sep) is leech-heavy and visibility from the ridge is poor.
Shivapuri Nagarjun is a day-hike park, not a wildlife-spotting park. Expect dense oak and pine forest, pilgrimage sites and (on a clear day) Himalayan ridge views from the summit.
Season note. October–November gives the sharpest Himalayan views from the ridge; March–April brings rhododendron in the upper forest. Air-pollution haze from the Kathmandu Valley reduces ridge visibility in winter — pick an early-morning start.
The lowest entry fee of any national park in Nepal — Shivapuri Nagarjun is priced like a day-use forest reserve rather than a destination park.
Bring cash in NPR — the entry gates are small and may not accept cards.
Visitor Guide
The most accessible national park in Nepal — day hikes, monasteries and birdlife on the northern rim of the Kathmandu Valley.
The most accessible national park — day-hike trails climb straight from the Kathmandu Valley rim.
More than 300 bird species, abundant butterflies, and good birding year-round.
A rich understorey on this watershed forest of the Kathmandu Valley rim.
Specific lodge and resort names. Fees, hours and operators change — confirm current details with the DNPWC and Nepal Tourism Board before travelling.
Opening hours. Fees, hours and operators change — confirm current details with the DNPWC and Nepal Tourism Board before travelling.
Visitor-centre information. Fees, hours and operators change — confirm current details with the DNPWC and Nepal Tourism Board before travelling.
Communities of the Kathmandu Valley rim.
Established in 2002 as Nepal's ninth national park; named after Shivapuri Peak, it is a vital watershed for the Kathmandu Valley.
Watershed and nature education near the capital.
Specific tour operators. Fees, hours and operators change — confirm current details with the DNPWC and Nepal Tourism Board before travelling.
From the Journal
Thirteen parks, one extraordinary country.
