Rara Lake (Rara taal) is the biggest and the deepest lake of Nepal. It lies in Rara Village Development Committee, Mugu District, Karnali Zone in Western Nepal and falls under the Rara National Park. The lake is also known as Mahendra Daha, named after the late king (Mahendra of Nepal). Rara Lake lies at an altitude about 2,990 metres (9,810 ft) above the sea level covering an area of 10.8 km2 (4.2 sq mi). The lake having a length of 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) and a width of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) has a maximum depth of 167 metres (548 ft). It flows into the Mugu Karnali river via the Nijar river (Nijar Khola). The water quality is characterized by high pH, conductivity and total hardness. The lake was reported to be very slightly polluted and was classified as oligotrophic in limnological terms.
Rara National Park, Nepal’s smallest and most scenic national park that spreads over an area of 106 square kilometer, is situated about 370 kilometers north- west of Kathmandu and lies in Mugu which is a mountainous district of the western region of Nepal. The undisturbed and the largest lake is also renowned as Mahendra Tal and it is shaped like an oval. The National Park ascends from 1800meters to 4480meters forested by conifers. The pivotal of Rara National Park is the pristine Rara Lake, which stands at the height of 2990meters and spreads over 10.8 square kilometers.The lake is surrounded by richly forested hills and Chuchemara Danda at 4,087 meters is the best vantage point to witness stunning views of the lake and the thickly forested hillsides and the snow-capped peaks around it.Other summits in the park area are Ruma kand at 3,731 meters and Malika Kand at 3,444 meters which are situated to the north of the lake. The trek to Rara Lake begins at Jumla, a village in the Trans – Himalayan area and the rides covered with forests and alpine pastures. The town has airstrip and Tele-communication facilities.
