Pudacuo National Park

National park · Shangri-La — Northwest Yunnan

Pudacuo National Park in Shangri-La, Northwest Yunnan
Photo: Colin W / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

China's first officially designated national park protects a plateau of alpine lakes east of Shangri-La, Shudu Lake sitting at 3,705 meters ringed by spruce and fir. Birch along the lake's east shore turns gold through October, framed by early snow on the surrounding peaks.

Best for: an easy alpine-lake loop with October birch

Don’t miss

  • China's first designated national park
  • Shudu Lake at 3,705m
  • Birch on the lake's east shore
Typical year

Peak: October 1–October 31

Climatological window from published records — the weather model’s elevation extrapolation isn’t reliable on this terrain, so this is the long-run normal rather than a season-specific forecast.

Source: https://govt.chinadaily.com.cn/s/202410/30/WS6721d1c7498eec7e1f725f47/explore-the-autumnal-beauty-of-pudacuo-national-park-in-shangri-la_1.html

Pudacuo National Park on the map

More things to do in Shangri-La — Northwest Yunnan

Yubeng Valley, Meili Snow Mountain

Trail

Typically September 1–October 31

A two-village trekking base reached only on foot or by mule, Yubeng sits at 3,050 to 3,150 meters below Kawagarbo, the 6,740-meter sacred summit of the Meili Snow Mountains that Tibetan Buddhists have never allowed anyone to climb. Forest along the trail to the glacier turns color through September and October.

Don’t miss: Foot- and mule-access only village · Below the unclimbed Kawagarbo summit · Trail to Meili's glacier

Napa Lake (Napahai)

Lake

A seasonal plateau lake eight kilometers from Shangri-La town, Napahai fills with water in summer and recedes into the Yila Grassland by winter. In autumn the grassland turns gold and the wetland draws migrating black-necked cranes, with Khampa herders grazing yak on the surrounding pasture into October.

Don’t miss: Seasonal lake and Yila Grassland · Black-necked crane migration · 8km from Shangri-La town

See all things to do in Shangri-La — Northwest Yunnan →

Frequently asked

When does Pudacuo National Park peak?
In a typical year, color peaks around October 1–October 31. The weather model's elevation extrapolation isn't reliable on this terrain, so this is a climatological window (source: https://govt.chinadaily.com.cn/s/202410/30/WS6721d1c7498eec7e1f725f47/explore-the-autumnal-beauty-of-pudacuo-national-park-in-shangri-la_1.html) rather than a season-specific forecast.
What is Pudacuo National Park best for?
An easy alpine-lake loop with October birch.
See it on the map

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