The land is abundant with some of the rare species of flora and fauna. Uttaranchal boasts of quite a few national parks and sanctuaries. All of them have been bestowed by nature with its bounty. Come, explore the exquisite forest life of Uttaranchal with us. The range of animal species found here are just immense. One can find here species from the plains, alpine region, aquatic region, etc. all at the same place. One can see numerous rare species like snow leopard, yak, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan musk deer, etc. which are rare to find elsewhere in India.
 

The Jim Corbett National Park is home to about 110 tree species, 50 mammals species, 600 bird species and 25 reptile species. Located at the foothills of the lofty Himalayas in the state of Uttranchal is the Corbett National Park, India's first and finest national park. The Corbett National Park inhabits a wide variety of rare and endangered flora & fauna. Corbett is famous for its population of Tigers, Leopards and Elephants. Once a popular hunting ground of the British, the Corbett National Park was named after the late Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter- turned wildife conservationist, who spent most of his years in this area and contributed in shaping the park. Corbett National Park was established in the year 1936, as the Hailey National Park. With the help of the World Wildlife Fund, Project Tiger was launched in Corbett National Park in the year 1973 and this park was one of the first such tiger reserves in the country.
 

Couched in the magnificent Garhwal hills, Gangotri is at an altitude of 3048 meters above sea level. Gangotri is situated in the northernmost part of the state of Uttaranchal and is very near the Indo-Tibetan border. It is approximately 300 km from Dehradun, 250 km from Rishikesh. The most famous site nearby is the Gaumukh (literal meaning, cow's mouth) glacier, which is at an altitude of 4200 meters above sea level. It is the geographical origin of the Ganges and is at a distance of 18 km from Gangotri uphill. The Ganges is called the Bhagirathi here.
 

Yamunotri is the origin of the sacred river Yamuna. Famous for its thermal springs and glaciers, it is one of the most important stopovers on the itinerary of the Hindu pilgrim. Perched at an altitude of 3293 meters above sea level, Yamunotri is 278 km from Dehradun and 236 km from Rishikesh. The Yamunotri Temple is the major attraction of this site. The temple is dedicated to the river Yamuna, who is represented in the form of a silver idol, bedecked with garlands. According to legend, Yamuna is the sister of Yama, the God of death, and so anyone bathing in the waters of the river is spared a painful death. The glacial lake of Saptarishi Kund, on the Kalind Parbat, nearby at an altitude of 4421 m, is the real source of the Yamuna River.

Rajaji National Park at Chilla is 16 km from Rishikesh. The park (820 sq km) has abundant wildlife and is especially known for its wild elephants.