Place: Miau, Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh
Nearest town: Margherita ( Assam) 63 km
Best time to visit: October to April
Main attraction: Snow leopard  nearly 163 Km from Dibrugarh (Assam)

Namdapha National Park is located in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh on the India Burmese border a few km from the entry point, Miau. It was designated as a National Park in 1983 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The same year, it was also declared as tiger reserve under Project Tiger. With a total area of 1985 sq kms, this is the largest national park in the north-east and one of the larger protected areas in the country. In fact, this was among the earliest national parks established in the seven states of north-east India. 

The park watered by the Noa- Dehing and the Namdapha rivers, is largely inaccessible, with diverse habitats of flora and fauna. The vegetation ranges from the wet evergreen tropical and sub-tropical forests to temperate and alpine forests. A variety of wild tree species and crop plants including banana, mango, citrus and medicinal and ornamental plants including wild orchids are found here. The inaccessibility has helped the forests to retain its pristine ness.

The fauna of the park comprises elephant, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, golden cat, wild dog, endangered Hoolock gibbon, Namdapha Flying Squirrel, wild buffalo, guar, hog deer, sloth bear, bison, Himalayan Tahr, Bharal, python, King cobra, , the wild goats; takin peculiar to the Patkoi range, Serow and Goral etc. The park is rich in bird life. The important birds are Indian Horn bill, the state bird of Arunachal, white winged wood duck, cheer pheasants etc. 

The park is unique in its altitude, which varies around 200 metres (nearly sea level) in the valleys to more than 4,500 metres of snow covered mountain peaks. Perhaps no other national park in the world can boast of such phenomenal altitudinal variation. The park is also ideal for trekking and hiking. From Miau the entry point, a forest road stretching over 28-km gives access to the protected area up to a place called Deban where accommodation is available. Beyond this there is no road and one has to go on foot. It is a challenging trek through dense forests and steep hill ranges with rivers flowing in between and the varying climatic conditions from tropical to cold and temperate conditions..

Where to stay
Accommodation is available at the Government Tourist Lodge, Miao; Rest House at Namchik and at the Forest Inspection Bungalow surrounded by evergreen forests overlooking river Noa-dihing. For reservation at the forest inspection Bungalow, Deban contact
Deputy Commissioner, Tawang, Phone: 037824 - 22221 (O) 22222 (R)

How to get there

Air: The nearest airport is Dibrugarh, Assam (140 km).
Rail: The nearest rail-head is Ledo (56 km) and the nearest station is Margherita in Assam. Local train connects Margherita to Tinisukia which is connected with major cities of India.
Road: Good motorable roads connect Miao (entry point of the park) to Dibrugarh (140 kms), Tezu (182 kms), Sibsagar (199 kms), Guwahati (561 kms) etc. Miao can be reached by Jeep/Gypsy from Margherita (Assam) 

Contacts

• Field Director, 
  Project Tiger,
  P.O. Miao, Dist. Tirap, 
  Arunachal Pradesh.

• Dy.Conservator of Forests, 
  Namdapha National Park, 
  PO, MIAO, District Tirap.

• Assistant Director (Tourism),
  O/o the D.I.P.R., 
  Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh,
    Naharlagun, Tel: (03781) 44115.

• Govt. of India Tourist Office,
    Sector- C, Naharlagun- 791 110.
  Phone: (03781) 44328.