[1] Most of the northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalaya ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested till denuded by the British log merchants and later, after independence, by forest contractors.

Two of India's great rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams.

Nanda Devi is the highest land point of Uttarakhand with the altitude of 7,816 metres (25,643 ft) above sea level.

Sharda Sagar Reservoir is the lowest land point of Uttarakhand with the altitude of 187 metres (614 ft).

The drier Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands belt and the Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests cover the lowlands along the Uttar Pradesh border.