Jigme Dorji National Park is Bhutan’s second-largest protected area, covering roughly 4,300 square kilometers of glaciers, alpine meadows and temperate forest across Gasa and four neighboring districts. Established in 1974, it draws trekkers and wildlife watchers to the high country beneath sacred peaks such as Jomolhari (7,326 m), Jichu Drake and Masang Gang (source: [Found Bhutan](https://foundbht.com/blog/post/jigme-dorji-national-park)).
The park shelters snow leopards, Bengal tigers, red pandas, blue sheep and the takin, Bhutan’s national animal. Herders’ yak-hair tents dot the summer pastures, and the Layap people of Laya village still wear their distinctive conical bamboo hats. The classic Jomolhari, Laya–Gasa and Snowman treks cross passes above 4,800 m. Lower down, many trekkers finish their routes with a soak at the Gasa Tshachu hot springs near Gasa Dzong.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Go in spring (March–May) for rhododendron blooms or in autumn (late September–November) for the clearest mountain views. Avoid the June–August monsoon, when leeches and landslides plague the trails. Winter snow closes the high passes. International visitors must book through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator and pay the daily Sustainable Development Fee, currently US$100 per night. Your operator arranges trekking permits, guides and pack animals. Allow time to acclimatize, since altitude sickness is a real risk on multi-day routes. Gasa town sits about a three-to-four-hour drive north of Punakha.
