Chopta has always been a place of attraction to those planning their trips to Uttarakhand due to its scenic beauty and mesmerizing views of the great Himalayan range. Apart from delivering heart-melting views, Chopta also serves as a base to those planning a trek to Tungnath or Chandrashila Peak. The scenic beauty of the valley attracts tourists and travellers to set up their itinerary and do camping in Chopta.
Situated in the Kedarnath Valley, Chopta is a location full of stunning pine and deodar forests. One can easily see Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Chaukhamba Himalayan Ranges on a clear day. Travellers arriving at Chopta look for adventurous activities like rock climbing, biking in the mountains, trekking to Chandrashila peak or to the world’s highest Shiva temple, Tungnath Mahadev, and rappelling.
Chopta has a lot to offer, a night under the stars, chilly winds, snow, a lot of it if you are going there somewhere between December and March. Camping in the region will definitely be one of the best moments one can enjoy in his life.
The location serves as the base to Tungnath Mahadev Trek and along with alluring travellers with its beauty, has religious sentiments attached to it.
What Is The Best Time For Camping in Chopta
Well, we are talking about a place that lies in the lap of the Himalayas, so no matter at what time of the year you visit, the scenery is going to be beautiful. Although the summer season is considered really decent for camping if you don’t want to shiver in the extreme cold of the mountains, travellers and tourists prefer visiting Chopta and Chandrashila in the winters.
In the summer season, the chances of finding plain roads and pleasant weather are higher as there is no snow, so the roads are uncovered, and the temperature remains between 15-25 Centigrade.
On the other side, winters in Chopta have a lot of snow to reward with as the area receives frequent snow showers and the temperature remains between 2-14 degrees. Winters in the Chopta region are generally very harsh in terms of conditions of roads and cold.
If you want to enjoy the greenery in the Chopta region with an attractive night and clear sky, then you should plan your trip after the culmination of the monsoon season. The weather around September-November is quite pleasant and considered best for camping in Chopta.
How Much Time a Trip to Chopta Would Require
If you are planning a trip to Chopta, then you should also consider visiting Chandrashila and Tungnath as these come under the sites to visit when in Chopta. However, if you are going only to Chopta then a round trip of two days from Delhi-Chopta-Delhi would work fine for you.
But you must know that Chopta in itself has not much to offer other than scenic forest views, chilly winds, and hotels. So visiting Tungnath and Chandrashila Peak becomes a mandate while visiting the location in the Kedarnath Valley.
A trip of 3 days and 2 nights will be perfect for you if you want to cover destinations around Chopta.
How to Reach Chopta From Delhi
Assuming that you are starting your expedition from Delhi at night so that it could save you the next day, a bus from Delhi to Rishikesh will take around 6-7 hours utilizing your night time. After reaching Rishikesh, you need to take a bus to Srinagar, if you want to continue your journey by bus, or else you can take a cab directly from Rishikesh to Chopta.
From Srinagar, the distance of Chopta is 100 km, so it will take around 3-4 hours depending on the conditions of the roads. There is no direct bus service from Srinagar to Chopta, and considering the time when you will be in Srinagar, you won’t even get a bus till Ukhimath. So it’s better to take a traveller from Srinagar to Chopta.
Adventures in Chopta
At Chopta, the first thing you should do is book a room, as there are not many options in the valley, and depending on the crowd, the rooms may fill up fast. Enjoy the evening at Chopta and take some rest for the next day.
If you are planning to camp in Chopta, then you can ask the local residents to provide you with a location to set up your tent or rent a tent there itself.
However, it is always advised to begin your trek to Tungnath Mahadev and Chandrashila early in the morning so that you can set up your tent at Chandrashila Peak by evening as it gets dark early there.
While in Chopta, don’t forget to visit Deoriya Tal and Tungnath Temple. Also, the doors of the Tungnath Temple gets shut on the arrival of winters, so you need to organise accordingly if you desire to stop by Tungnath Temple.