Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary lies in a small town named Binsar which was ruled by the Chand Dynasty from 11th to 18th Century and is about 35 km north of the Almora District. The Sanctuary is a beautiful and quiet destination rich with flora and fauna including 200 species of birds that live and breed within natural surroundings, dense forest with alpine flora, ferns, hanging moss, different species of wild flowers and the Himalayan ranges as the backdrop. You can reach this place by road from Nainital or by Rail link from Kathgodam. The best time to visit this sanctuary is from the months of February to April and October to November. It is opened from early morning hours to late evening hours and the charges to enter is Rs. 40/- for Indian Nationals and Rs. 100/- for International tourists. The charge for a Guide to take you around is Rs. 125/- for 2 hours, Rs. 250/- for half the day and Rs. 500/- for the entire day. If you drive in, entry of heavy vehicles will cost Rs. 250/-, Medium size vehicles is Rs. 100/- and Small size vehicles is Rs. 50/- (subject to change).
The Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary was formed in 1988 with the idea to conserve and protect the Oak and Rhododendron forests of Central Himalaya that had begun to shrink due to deforestation. It spans over and area of 45.59 Sq. Km. and varies in altitudes of 900 mts to 2500 mts above sea level with an average of 2412 mts in height. It is set atop the Jhandi Dhar Hill from where you get an amazing view of the 300 km stretch of the panoramic Himalayan peaks like Trishul Peak, Kedarnath Peak, Shivling Peak, Chaukhamba Peak, Panchchuli Peak and Nanda Devi Peak also known to be the closest to the 'Zero Point' or the highest point in Almora District which offers undisturbed and a close-up view of these Peaks and the Himalayan Ranges.
The diverse fauna seen here includes Goral, Leopards, Chital, Musk Deer, Serow [endangered], Jungle Cat, Black Bear, Fox, Marten, Langoor, Porcupines, Flying Squirrels, Barking Deer, and many more. This Sanctuary has also been declared the 'Protected Bird Area' by Birdlife International as it homes over 200 species of birds like the Fork-tails, Tits, Magpies, Woodpeckers, Parakeets, Blackbirds, Kokla, Eagles, Monals, Kalij Pheasants and other species of Pheasants are seen here.
