Kumaon, a land gleaming in natural splendour, is a jewel in the great Himalayan necklace. It is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand — the 27th state of the Union of India, carved out of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000. Stretching from the Gangetic plains to the borders of Tibet and Nepal, the Kumaon hills unfold an endless panorama of scenic wonders: snow walls of the high Himalaya crowned by Nanda Devi, oak and deodar forests, emerald lakes, terraced valleys, and stone temples that have watched over the ridges for a thousand years.

Geographically, the region is a large Himalayan tract divided into two parts — the hills and the plains. The plains consist of two strips: the Terai (wet lands) and the Bhabhar (dry lands). Until the middle of the nineteenth century, this lowland belt was dense, malarial, and nearly impenetrable forest. Its clearing in later decades opened fertile farmland and drew large numbers of migrants down from the hills, whose descendants cultivate it to this day.

Today Kumaon comprises six districts — Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar — each with its own character, from the colonial lake town of Nainital to the glacier trailheads of Bageshwar and the trans-Himalayan valleys of Pithoragarh.

This site is a growing collection of the region’s history, culture, places, and travel guides — explore by district, by topic, or simply start wandering.