Annapurna Conservation Area

The Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) contains some of the world’s highest peaks the world’s deepest valley-the Kali Gandaki River Valley. It is the Nepal’s largest protected area of 7629 sq. km. It was established in 1992. The proposed conservation area encompasses the Annapurna range in Western Nepal. It is bounded to the north by the dry alpine deserts of Mustang and Tibet (China), to the west by the Kali Gandaki River, to the east by Marsyandi Valley and to the south by valleys and foothills north of Pokhara
The ACA has an entire habitats gradient from sub tropical sal forest to perenial snow harboring 22 different forest types with 1226 plant species including 55 endemics, 30 mammals and 456 birds.

Features

• Some of the world’s highest peaks (Annapuran I: 8091m, Machhapuchhere: 6,993 M)
• World’s deepest gorge: Kali Gandaki and one of the world's highest altitude lake Tilicho
• Most popular trekking destination (76407 in 2000)
• Two distinct climatic regions (3000mm annual rainfall in south (cis Himalayas) and <500mm annual rainfall in north (trans Himalayas) within a span of 120 km and altitude of 1000-8000m
• 12 different forest types
• A total of 1226 species of plants (1140 species in the cis Himalayas) including 38 Orchid species and 
• 9 Rhododendron species
• 101 species of mammals including snow leopard, Musk deer, Tibetan Argali, Tibetan wolf, Tibetan fox. 474 species of birds including 38 breeding species of birds at risk in Nepal, all six Himalayan pheasants found in Nepal. 39 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibians.
• Nepal’s Largest protected area and first conservation area with the entire habitat gradient from sub tropical sal forest to perennial snow.
• More than 100,000 inhabitants and more than 10 ethnic groups (Tibeto Burbese: Gurung, Thakali, Bhotia, Ethnic Tibetan and Magar and Indo Aryan: Brahmin, Kshetri, Kami, Damai and Sarki)

Activites: Trekking, Mountaineering

Access: From Pokhara which is 202 km by road or 30 minutes  by air from Kathmandu

Best Season: March - May ; Sep-Nov

World famous Trekking route: Annapurna Base Camp 12 Days | 13 Days Annapurna Round Trek

See our: Where to walk in Annapurna Region | Best time for Trekking

Source: Department of National parks and Wildlife conservation