The Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) covers 7,629 square kilometres of the Himalayan foothills and mountains north of Pokhara, making it the largest protected area in Nepal. The zone encompasses an extraordinary range of ecosystems: subtropical forest at 800m, temperate rhododendron forest, subalpine meadows, alpine scrub, and the high-altitude desert of the Mustang plateau. More than 1,200 species of flowering plants, 478 bird species, and 101 mammal species have been recorded within its boundaries.
The wildlife is harder to see than in Nepal's lowland parks — the terrain is vast and animals have plenty of cover — but dedicated observers can spot snow leopards (very rarely), Himalayan tahr, blue sheep, musk deer, red pandas in the forest zone, and enormous numbers of Himalayan birds including the Himalayan monal (Nepal's national bird). The Kali Gandaki valley is a major migration corridor for raptors.
Entry requires an Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP), obtainable in Pokhara or Kathmandu along with the TIMS trekking card. The permit fees fund trail maintenance, conservation work, and community development schemes in the villages along the main trekking routes.