Deosai National Park

At an average elevation of 4,114 meters, Deosai is second only to Tibet’s Changtang Plateau among the world’s highest plateaus. Stretching across 3,000 square kilometers between the Skardu and Astore districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, this vast alpine expanse sits at the convergence of the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges—a geological crossroads that creates one of Earth’s most extraordinary ecosystems. The Balti people call it ‘Ghbiarsa,’ meaning ‘summer’s place,’ because for eight months each year the plateau lies buried beneath meters of snow, completely inaccessible to the outside world.

When summer arrives in June, Deosai undergoes one of nature’s most dramatic transformations. The snow retreats to reveal rolling grasslands that stretch to every horizon, punctuated by crystal-clear streams, marshlands, and lakes fed by glacial meltwater from surrounding peaks. The plateau’s unique position—facing the monsoon-affected outer Himalayas—gives it higher rainfall than the arid valleys of Baltistan, nurturing an explosion of wildflowers that carpets the land in vivid color. UNESCO has placed Deosai on its World Heritage tentative list, recognizing its outstanding universal value as one of the planet’s highest freshwater wetland ecosystems.