In 1931, Frank S. Smythe, Eric Shipton and R. L. Holdsworth, all British mountaineers, lost their way while returning from a successful expedition to Mt.

[3] Prof. Chandra Prakash Kala, a botanist deputed by the Wildlife Institute of India, carried out a research study on the floristics and conservation of the valley for a decade, beginning in 1993.

[7][8] 1862: The Pushpawati River Valley was discovered by Col. Edmund Smyth; 1931: The valley visited by the climber Frank S. Smythe who wrote a book publicizing the "Valley of Flowers"; 1934: The upper Nanda Devi Sanctuary was reached and described by mountaineers Eric Shipton & Bill Tilman; 1936: Mountaineers Bill Tilman & Noel Odell climbed Nanda Devi; 1939: The basin established as the Nanda Devi Game Sanctuary by Government Order 1493/XIV- 28 of 7/01; 1962: Border disputes closed the area to traffic, altering the local economy; 1974–82: The sanctuary was opened to mountaineering, but the ensuing degradation led to its closure to all users; 1980: The park was established as Sanjay Gandhi National Park by Notification 3912/ XIV 3-35-80; grazing and mountaineering stopped; 1980: The Valley of Flowers was declared a national park by Government Order 4278/XIV-3-66-80 under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, for the conservation of its flora; 1982: The park was renamed Nanda Devi National Park; 1988: The Nanda Devi National Biosphere Reserve established (223,674 ha) with the national park as core zone (62,462 ha) and a 514,857 ha buffer area surrounding both sites; restrictions were imposed on the rights of nearby villagers.

A small tributary of Pushpawati river originates from Tipra glacier from Gauri Parbat in the east and flows through the Valley of Flowers.

The area lies on the Zanskar range of the Himalayas with the highest point in the national park being Gauri parbat at 6,719 m above sea level.

Conditions are generally dry with low annual precipitation, but there is heavy monsoon rainfall from late June to early September.

Prevailing mist and low cloud during the monsoon keeps the soil moist, hence the vegetation is lusher than is usual in the drier inner Himalayan valleys.

The diversity of threatened species of medicinal plants is higher than has been recorded in other Indian Himalayan protected areas.

The entire Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve lies within the Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA).

[16] Characteristic of the sub-alpine zone are high altitude forests which help to retain moisture and snow and support a large number of floral and faunal communities.

Some of the common herbs are Arisaema jacquemontii, Boschniakia himalaica, Corydalis cashmeriana, Polemonium caerulium, Impatiens sulcata, Geranium wallichianum, Galium aparine, Morina longifolia, Inula grandiflora, Nomochoris oxypetala, nemone rivularis, Pedicularis pectinata, P. bicornuta, Primula denticulate and Trillidium govanianum.

[18][19] In trampled areas where past livestock congregated, Himalayan knotweed Polygonum polystachium is a rampant weed.

The park has many species of medicinal plants including Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Aconitum violaceum, Polygonatum multiflorum, Fritillaria roylei and Podophyllum hexandrum.

[22] An October 2004 faunal survey established the presence of snow leopard Panthera uncia (EN) in the national park.

Local people have also reported evidence of brown bear Ursus arctos and bharal or blue sheep Pseudois nayaur.

Species frequently seen in the valley include lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus, Himalayan vulture Gyps himalayensis, Yellow-billed and Red-billed choughs Pyrrhocorax graculus and P. pyrrhocorax, koklass pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha, the nationally listed Himalayan monal pheasant Lophophorus impejanus, found in rhododendron thickets, scaly-bellied and yellownape woodpeckers Picus squamatus and P. flavinucha, great and blue-throated barbets Megalaima virens and M. asiatica, snow pigeon Columba leuconota and spotted dove Stigmatopelia chinensis.

The park is administered by the Uttarakhand State Forestry Department, the national Ministry of Environment and Forests, India.

[1] A research nursery and seed/rhizome/tuber bank for propagating rare plants and valuable medicinal herbs has been created at Musadhar near the entrance of the site.

These include Aconitum heterophyllum, A. falconeri, Arnebia benthamii, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Gymnadenia orchides, Megacarpaea polyandra, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Podophyllum hexandrum and Taxus wallichiana.

Research plots have been set up to determine the best way to control the spread of the tall Himalayan knotweed Polygonum polystachium without damaging other plants or the surface of the soil.