Dachigam National Park, 22 km northeast of Srinagar, protects one of the most important wildlife areas in the Himalayas and is the primary habitat of the Hangul — the Kashmir stag, a subspecies of red deer that is critically endangered. The park covers 141 square kilometres of mountain terrain rising from the Zabarwan Hills through mixed forest to alpine meadow, with the Dagwan River running through it. The Hangul population, once in the thousands, had fallen to fewer than 200 by the late 1990s; conservation efforts have stabilised it but not reversed the decline significantly.
Entry to Dachigam requires a permit from the Wildlife Protection Department in Srinagar (allow one or two days for the process). Visits are typically guided, with park rangers accompanying visitors into the lower reaches. The best chance of seeing Hangul is in the morning in the lower valley, particularly in winter (November to March) when the deer descend from the high altitude. The park also holds brown bear, leopard, serow, and a rich bird list. The access road from Srinagar passes through the Chashme Shahi area; the approach itself passes within view of the Zabarwan ridge that forms the park's western boundary.