Shimla Water Catchment Sanctuary

This catchment area was taken over by the Shimla Municipal Corporation in 1878 and it was declared a protected forest in 1952. This area is a combination of steep slopes, streams of water, Himalayan subtropical pine forests, deodar forests, ban oak forests and lower himalayan temperate forests. It is also responsible for supplying water to Shimla town. It is an amazing place for nature walks where one can appreciate the wild beauty, mountain biking which is done here at 2 levels, the Sanctuary Flat Track which is a 11 km long jeep track and people with basic cycling skills can do biking here and the second is the Sanctuary Single Track which is more for the expert cyclists. Families also come to this sanctuary for picnics and walks. Some of the animals that this sanctuary houses include the Indian Sambhar, Musk Deer, Leopards, Langur, Barking Deer, Chir Pheasant, Flying Squirrel, Red Jungle Fowl and Himalayan Yellow Throated Porcupine. A forest passage in between connects this place to the Chail sanctuary in the south.