Kheerganga

Here is what you need to know before everything else: overnight camping at Kheerganga has been banned since July 2024. The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department enforced the ban after a High Court directive, following years of environmental damage from hundreds of tents and accumulating waste on the meadow. All tents, huts, and makeshift cafes at the top have been cleared out. Kheerganga is now strictly a day trek. You must arrive before 10 AM and begin descending by 2 PM. Violators face fines and FIR registration. This is not flexible, and it is actively enforced.

Plan accordingly. Stay overnight in Barshaini, Kalga, Nakthan, or Tosh the night before. Start the trek by 5 AM. Reach the top by 9 to 10 AM. Soak in the hot springs. Head down. The trek itself has not changed. What has changed is that you cannot sleep at the top, and the logistics now require an earlier start and a nearby base camp.

With that settled, here is what Kheerganga actually is. A wide alpine meadow at roughly 2,960 metres (about 9,700 feet) at the head of the Parvati Valley, with natural hot springs known as Parvati Kund and a small Shiva temple. The trek from Barshaini covers about 12 to 14 km through pine and deodar forest, past apple orchards, through villages, and along the Parvati River. The last stretch climbs steeply through dense forest before the ground opens into the clearing at the top.

The hot springs: what has changed

The hot springs are the main reason people make this climb, and they are still accessible for day trekkers. But the experience has changed. The old open air communal pool that most older blog posts and photos show has been closed by local authorities for environmental and religious preservation. What exists now is a managed, indoor bathing facility with segregated sections for men and women. The water is still naturally heated, still mineral rich, and still genuinely hot. You can still soak after the trek. But you are bathing inside a covered structure with basic plumbing, not in a rustic stone pool under the open sky. Bring a towel and a change of clothes in your daypack. Do not put soap, shampoo, or any product into the spring water. The springs are sacred and the rules about keeping them clean are taken seriously.

Worth knowing: many travel blogs still show photos of the old open pool as if it is current. It is not. If you are planning this trek specifically for the classic open air soak, adjust your expectations. The hot water is real. The setting is different.

The two routes

Two trails connect Barshaini to the top, and they feel like two different treks.

Route 1: Via Nakthan (left bank trail, roughly 12 km). This is the more popular route. From Barshaini, you follow the left bank of the Parvati River upstream through open, sun exposed terrain. The trail passes through Nakthan Village at roughly the halfway mark, where trail dhabas serve rajma chawal, Maggi, and chai. Past Nakthan, the trail reaches the Rudranag waterfall (about 30 minutes further), then climbs steeply through dense forest for 2 to 3 hours to the meadow. This route has more sun, more people, and more food stops. It is the better choice if you want company and snacks midway.

Route 2: Via Kalga (right bank trail, roughly 14 km). From Kalga, the trail goes through dense deodar and pine forest on the right bank. It is shadier, cooler, quieter, and noticeably less crowded. The path passes a small dhaba near a separate waterfall midway before descending to the bridge near Rudranag where it meets the Nakthan route. From that point, both routes share the same steep forest climb to the top. The Kalga route is less marked in places and it is possible to lose the path in sections. Ask at your homestay in Kalga for directions before starting.

Most trekkers go up one way and come down the other. If you want my honest recommendation: go up via Nakthan (for the dhabas and the river views) and come down via Kalga (for the forest and the quiet when your legs are tired). Or flip it if you prefer getting the harder, less marked route done with fresh legs in the morning.

Safety: when to avoid the trek

Fair warning. The trail is genuinely hazardous during heavy monsoon rains, particularly July and August. The rocky sections above Rudranag become dangerously slippery when wet. Multiple stretches of the trail pass through active landslide zones where loose rock and mud slides are common after heavy rainfall. Stream crossings that are manageable in dry weather can become fast and difficult to ford in monsoon. Leeches are common in the lower forest sections between Nakthan and Rudranag. The road from Manikaran to Barshaini is also landslide prone, which means even getting to the trailhead can be disrupted.

If you are not an experienced trekker comfortable with monsoon mountain conditions, avoid the July and August window entirely. September improves as the rains ease. The trail dries quickly once the heavy rain stops.

The legend behind the name

Kartikeya, son of Shiva and Parvati, is said to have meditated at this spot for thousands of years. Parvati would visit and cook kheer (a rice and milk pudding) in the hot spring water. The milky appearance of the spring water gave the place its name. The small Shiva temple at the top marks the site. Whether or not the story moves you, the temple's position at the edge of a meadow at nearly 3,000 metres, with the valley dropping away below, gives it a setting that most lowland temples cannot match.

Honest take

Kheerganga is a genuinely rewarding trek, and the hot springs at the top, even in their new managed form, are unlike anything else in this part of the Himalayas. But the day trek format means it is now a long, tiring day. You are walking 12 to 14 km uphill, spending an hour or two at the top, and then walking 12 to 14 km back down. That is 24 to 28 km of trekking in a single day with a 2 PM deadline. For fit trekkers, this is manageable and satisfying. For casual walkers or first timers who have not trained, it is a hard day. Be honest with yourself about your fitness before committing.

One more thing. Since the camping ban, there is no food at the top. The dhabas and tent cafes that used to operate there are gone. Carry your own snacks, at least 2 litres of water, and enough energy food for the summit stop and the return journey. The only reliable food stop on the trail is at Nakthan, roughly halfway on the left bank route.