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Uttarakhand

Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)

Uttarakhand's Ramsar wetland where the Asan meets the Yamuna

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Best time to visit Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: December to February
  • Shoulder: March and October to November, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: May to June

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryDecember

Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Dec to Feb is the whole point: ruddy shelduck, red crested pochard and 50 odd species on the water, cold still mornings at 4 to 20 C.

Summer March to May Shoulder

March still holds late migrants; by May the Doon floor passes 40 C, the birds have gone north and the reserve is a hot mudflat.

Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail

Jun to Aug the Yamuna runs high and brown, the barrage gates open and there is little to watch beyond egrets in sticky 35 C heat.

Autumn October to November Shoulder

Oct and Nov the first waders and ducks drop in and the air clears; boating restarts and the Dakpathar canal walk is at its best.

What Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar) is actually like

A GMVN rest house and a few lodges at Dakpathar; birders with scopes at dawn, canal-side chai stalls, nothing after 9 pm

Things to do in Asan Conservation Reserve

The local places worth your time in and around Asan Conservation Reserve, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.

  • Gurudwara Paonta Sahib

    Gurudwara · 6 km out

    Gurdwara on the Yamuna built in memory of Guru Gobind Singh; a museum shows weapons and pens used by him

  • Dakpathar Barrage

    Reservoir · 18 km out

    Barrage of about 516 m with 25 gates on the Yamuna, diverting water into the East Yamuna Canal and its power houses

  • Jagatgram Ashvamedha Site

    Heritage · 18 km out

    ASI site with three eagle shaped fire altars of King Silavarman, who ruled around the 3rd century AD

  • Ashokan Rock Edict, Kalsi

    Heritage · 26 km out

    Boulder carrying all fourteen major rock edicts of Ashoka in Brahmi script, the only full set in north India

Getting to Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)

Dehradun to Dakpathar 45 km by bus, about 1.5 h, then 4 km to the barrage; Jolly Grant airport 75 km

Practical ways in: flighttrainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
2 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Fine solo
Altitude
392 m
State
Uttarakhand
Coordinates
30.4353, 77.6655

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)?

December to February is peak season in Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar). March and October to November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid May to June. Dec to Feb is the whole point: ruddy shelduck, red crested pochard and 50 odd species on the water, cold still mornings at 4 to 20 C.

How many days do you need in Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)?

2 days is the usual stay. A GMVN rest house and a few lodges at Dakpathar; birders with scopes at dawn, canal-side chai stalls, nothing after 9 pm.

How do you get to Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)?

Dehradun to Dakpathar 45 km by bus, about 1.5 h, then 4 km to the barrage; Jolly Grant airport 75 km. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.

Is Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.

What are the best things to do in Asan Conservation Reserve?

Gurudwara Paonta Sahib, Dakpathar Barrage, Jagatgram Ashvamedha Site and Ashokan Rock Edict, Kalsi. Gurdwara on the Yamuna built in memory of Guru Gobind Singh; a museum shows weapons and pens used by him.

Nearby, and where to go next

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