Gwaldam

This beautiful hill station is situated between the Garhwal and Kumau Commissionary. 30 kms away from Kaushani at 6000 feet above sea level this place is still quite untouched  in its natural beauty. The silent deodar forest and natural streams and lakes have never failed to enchant tourists. As one looks up, one sees the snow-capped peaks. The valley which stretches for miles has the river Pindari flowing through it. This small hamlet with its  far spreading fields is one of nature's  paradise.

Tourist Spots:

Roopkund: The world famous trekking tourists spot, Roopkund at 4778 mts is the first stop of Gwaldam. Roopkund is 60 kms from Gwaldam. A road upto Mundauli has been made which makes Roopkund just 24 kms away by walk. 

Lake: This lake is in the midst of the town. The snow capped peaks throw their reflections in its water which appear very beautiful. In front of the town in the north one sees Nandaghunti (6309 mts), Nanda Devi (7817 mts),  Trisul (7120 mts) and Chaukhamba (7838 mts) peaks. From dawn to dusk one can see various colours spreading on these peaks. The view from Alpine land, the Brahmatal area, the Navali gardens resort to the Katyur Kaushani valley is filled with many vivid scenes.

Badharangadi: 6 kms from Gwaldam on a high mountain is this historical place which is 2260 mts above sea level. The kings of yester-years lived here. The remains of the forts of those days still lie here.

Gwalnaag: 3 kms from Gwaldam in a dense forest Gwalnaag located on the Dhalua meadow. The slopes here are ideal for skiing. The mountain ranges visible from here run from Nepal to Chaukhamba. 2 kms further from here,  the Garud Valley looks like a diamond studded bowl from Ghankark.

Another spot ideal for trekking is 4 kms away called Latatoli. Adventurous local youth have found new trekking routes from here to the Pindari Glacier.

The Navali Garden  Bugyal at 3268 mts is an extremely beautiful area.

One can view Angyari Devi  forest (7000 feet) from Gwaldam .

Buddhist Mutt: A small village which follows  Buddhism  is located in Gwaldam. The Mutt here is worth visiting. The English were extremely fond of this place in the olden days. There were tea plantations here which are now unkempt. Many English memorials can be found here.

Hotels :

Garhwal Mandal Corporation has a tourist bungalow with 24 beds. Other places to stay are namely, Trisul, Gold Star., Manasarovar, Pramod and Vijay. A forest rest house is also available.

Distances from Cities and towns:

Travel Plans:

Air: The closest airport is Jolly Grant which is 263 kms away.

Rail: The closest  railway station  is Rishikesh while Kathgodam is the last station on the Kumau side.

Road: Buses run from Dehradun, Kotwar, Almora, Pithoragarh, Dharchula. Situated on the Rishikesh -Badrinath road is Karnprayag which is also connected by buses.

Tourists Season: Monsoons are bad here. So it is best to avoid that season. The best time is May, June,  September and October. In winter it gets extremely cold. So one has to be equipped with proper warm clothes.