DEHRADUN: The gates of Uttarakhand's famed Valley of Flowers in Chamoli district were closed for the winter on Saturday, marking the end of a record-breaking season that saw 35,261 visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A team from the wildlife division formally shut and locked the valley's main entrance, following the customary seasonal closure. With heavy snowfall expected over the coming months, public access will remain prohibited for the next six months.
The valley received 35,261 visitors between June 1 and October 31, according to official figures released by the park administration. The number marks a record for the site. Visitors included 34,996 Indians and 265 foreign tourists.
The influx also generated record revenue of ₹66.96 lakh during the season. Park officials said the funds would support conservation work, repairs to the trekking route and efforts to protect the valley's biodiversity.
“Spread over 87.5 square kilometres in the Himalayan region, the valley is renowned across the world for its exceptional biodiversity and natural wealth,” Mayank Garg, deputy director of Gangotri National Park, told this newspaper.
“More than 500 rare species of colourful flowers bloom here during the monsoon. Nature lovers and researchers from across the world visit the valley to see them,” he said.
The Valley of Flowers, located in the high-altitude Bhuyandar Valley, opens to visitors every year on June 1. Its meadows burst into colour during the summer and monsoon months, drawing trekkers and researchers to the remote Himalayan landscape.
After the gates were closed, the park administration's final team inspected the valley before returning to the base camp at Ghangaria. No visitors will be allowed into the area during the winter closure.
Park staff will continue patrolling the sensitive landscape despite freezing temperatures and snowfall, officials said. Their work will include monitoring wildlife, including snow leopards, and safeguarding rare medicinal plants and other fragile habitats.
The annual closure is intended to protect the valley during the harsh winter, when deep snow makes access difficult and wildlife moves through the region without the presence of visitors. The site is expected to reopen next June, subject to weather conditions and the park administration's schedule.
