The Margalla Hills are the wooded ridges that rise immediately north of Islamabad — the southern-most spur of the Himalaya. The national park covers around 17,000 hectares of pine and oak forest, threaded with marked hiking trails of every length and difficulty.
Trail 3 (5 km, two hours one way) is the most popular: a steady climb from the F-6 trailhead to the Pir Sohawa road at the ridge, with viewpoints over the city. Trail 5 is shorter and steeper. Trail 6 is the longest, winding through forest to the village of Talhar. Start at dawn in summer — the southern slopes are exposed and the temperatures climb fast. Carry water; the trails are well-marked but you will not find a shop on them.
The forest holds wild boar, grey langur monkeys, a few leopards (rarely seen), and a long list of resident and migrant birds.