Chandertal Lake

Best time to visit: June to September
Region: Manali, Hamta pass, Chandratal, Baralacha-La, and Lahaul valley
Elevation: 4,300 m
Altitude: High

Chandertal lake alias the moon lake is a crescent-shaped basin, surrounded by the gigantic Himalayan Mountains on all the sides. The lake is located in Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of 14100 ft. Earlier, the lake was the resting point for the traders and voyagers who used to come from Tibet or Ladakh.

The Chandertal Lake is accessible only during the summer months i.e. June, July, August and September, and for the rest of the year the lake remains frozen. One will get awestruck when they will see that the color of the lake keeps on changing with the color of the sky. The shimmering lake is flanked by the green-carpeted Chandra Baga mountain range.

As per the legends, it is the spot from where Lord Indra took the eldest Pandava brother, Yudhishtra in his human form to Swarga, in his chariot. People of the neighbouring villages believe that the lake is often visited by fairies at midnight.

Chandertal Lake is a treat for all the trekkers and adventure enthusiast as it is the starting line of the famous, Batal - Chandratal Lake-Baralacha Pass trek (the moon trek) which takes them to the cool forest, valleys, undiscovered monasteries, etc. Chandertal lake is one the famous and the least explored lake of Himachal Pradesh, without any doubt. The lake is flanked by gigantic mountains which turn into a bed of wildflowers during winters.