Destination guide
Dachigam National Park: closed to tourists in 2026, and what to know
Dachigam National Park near Srinagar is closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026: the hangul census, old entry rules and latest orders.
Dachigam is a national park of 141 sq km in the hills above Srinagar, 22 km from the city, and “best known as the home of the hangul, or Kashmir stag”, according to the Srinagar district administration. It has been protected since 1910 and became a national park in 1981. The hangul’s numbers have been rising: 323 were counted in 2025, up from 127 in 2008.
In this guide6 sections
At a glance
- Status
- Closed to tourists list as on 7 Jul 2026; orders to 31 Dec 2026
- Area
- 141 sq km
- From Srinagar
- 22 km
- National park since
- 1981 protected since 1910
- Hangul count
- 323 in 2025 289 in 2023
- Height
- 5,500–14,000 ft JKTDC
The hangul
The hangul, or Kashmir stag, is a red deer “largely found only in Kashmir’s Dachigam National Park and adjoining landscapes”, Mongabay reported. The Department of Wildlife Protection has reported 323 in its 2025 census, “up from 127 recorded during the 2008 census”, Kashmir Life reported.
| Census | Hangul counted |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 127 |
| 2019 | 237 |
| 2021 | 261 |
| 2023 | 289 |
| 2025 | 323 |
2019–2023 as reported by ETV Bharat, 17 Mar 2025; 2023 includes 14 counted in the Shikargarh area of Tral. 2008 and 2025 from Kashmir Life, 13 Feb 2026; the 2025 count covers the park and surrounding areas.
The park was to be closed to visitors during the March 2025 census, ETV Bharat reported, and the hangul’s autumn rut closes it too: in 2023 entry was halted from 25 September to 18 October, Kashmir Life reported.
Other wildlife
J&K’s tourism corporation, JKTDC, lists musk deer, leopard, Himalayan serow, Himalayan black and brown bears, and long-tailed marmot among the park’s mammals, and birds such as the Himalayan monal, golden oriole, Kashmir flycatcher and bearded vulture. It notes that the name “literally stands for ‘ten villages’”, which could recall the villages moved to create the park.
How visits worked before the closures
These were the online booking rules as listed by Outlook Traveller (updated 25 May 2023). The old booking site, jkwildlife.com, now redirects to an unrelated website, so the rules may change when the park reopens:
- Permission was booked online, one booking a day, for groups of up to 15, with ID for one person.
- Entry cost ₹25 for Indians and ₹50 for foreigners; children under 10 entered free.
- The park was closed on Tuesdays, and bookings couldn’t be refunded or moved.
A timeline of the closures
- 29 Apr 2025After the Pahalgam attack, the government closed 48 of Kashmir’s 87 tourist destinations; Dachigam’s entry covered the area “Beyond Trout Farm / Fisheries Farm”, Greater Kashmir reported.
- 19 Feb 2026The Chief Minister told the Assembly that all closed destinations were expected to reopen by May, News On Air reported the next day.
- 3 Jun 2026A government spokesperson said entry to the park “remains completely open as per the usual procedure”, The Kashmir Monitor reported.
- 7 Jul 2026The official list of closed destinations “as on 07-07-2026” included “Dachigam Area”, with orders running to 31 December 2026; no reason was given, The Wire reported.
- 12 Oct 2026Entry was suspended until 31 October for the hangul rut, on the recommendation of the Wildlife Warden, Central Division, Srinagar, UNI reported.
The list names “Dachigam Area” but doesn’t say whether that means the whole park or, as in April 2025, only the area beyond the trout farm, and we couldn’t find the order itself. Until it is lifted, treat the park as closed.
Nearby, and open
The Mughal gardens and most Srinagar sights are not on the closure list, though the Burzhama archaeological site and the Buddhist monastery at Harwan are. See places to visit in Srinagar and what’s closed in Kashmir. The Go Kashmir app flags each closed place on its place card, with the date it was checked.
Dachigam questions
Is Dachigam National Park open?
No. “Dachigam Area” is on the official list of closed destinations, under orders that run to 31 December 2026, and entry was separately suspended until 31 October 2026 for the hangul rut.
What is Dachigam famous for?
The hangul, or Kashmir stag. 323 were counted in the 2025 census.
How far is Dachigam from Srinagar?
22 km, according to the Srinagar district administration.
How were visits booked before?
Online, according to Outlook Traveller’s 2023 list of rules. The old booking site now redirects to an unrelated website, so check for new rules when the park reopens.
Sources
- Srinagar district administration, Dachigam National Park, updated 24 Nov 2018.
- JKTDC, Dachigam. Read 23 Oct 2026.
- The Wire, destinations shut under the July 2026 orders, 15 Jul 2026, and the Anantnag district administration’s details of closed tourist destinations as on 07-07-2026 (PDF covering seven districts).
- UNI, Dachigam entry suspended for the hangul rut, 12 Oct 2026.
- Kashmir Life, hangul population recovery, 13 Feb 2026, and entry suspended for rutting season, 26 Sep 2023.
- Mongabay India, the last surviving population of a red deer rises, 25 Mar 2026.
- ETV Bharat, hangul census 2025, 17 Mar 2025.
- Outlook Traveller, home to the hangul, updated 25 May 2023.
- Greater Kashmir, 48 destinations closed, 29 Apr 2025.
- News On Air, all closed destinations by May, 20 Feb 2026.
- The Kashmir Monitor, Dachigam open, no restrictions today, 3 Jun 2026.
We write from published sources and do not claim personal visits. How we check facts.
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