Districts
Gandaki Province
Baglung बागलुङ
Kali Gandaki gorge, Dhorpatan
Baglung, in Gandaki Province, lines the east bank of the Kali Gandaki where the gorge begins its deep cut between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs. The district is sometimes called the district of suspension bridges — its many river crossings include the 567-metre Baglung–Kushma span, among the longest pedestrian bridges in Asia at its opening. Dhorpatan, Nepal's only hunting reserve, occupies the high plateau on its western rim.
About Baglung
Baglung lines the eastern bank of the Kali Gandaki where the river begins its deepest cut between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs, one of the world's most profound gorges. The district is sometimes called the district of suspension bridges; its signature span, the 567-metre footbridge connecting Baglung town to Kushma across the gorge, rises high above the river and held the world pedestrian-bridge length record at its 2020 opening. Dhorpatan, Nepal's only hunting reserve, covers 1,325 square kilometres of high plateau on the district's western rim, where blue sheep, serow and several pheasant species can be seen.
Baglung was a minor hill principality — one of the Baise Rajya — before unification, and a scattering of old temples and stone-paved bazaar lanes around the headquarters preserve that past. The population is predominantly Magar and Brahmin-Chhetri, with a strong mid-hill farming culture. Trekkers passing through on the way into Mustang or toward Dhorpatan will find Baglung a serviceable overnight stop; the Kali Gandaki trail north to Beni is still walked as an alternative to the jeep road.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Baglung
- Known for
- Kali Gandaki gorge, Dhorpatan
Getting there
Baglung town is roughly 300 km from Kathmandu by road — about 8–9 hours via the Prithvi Highway to Pokhara (200 km, 6–7 hours) and then south through Kushma. From Pokhara the drive takes around 2.5–3 hours. Local buses and jeeps connect Baglung to Beni (the Myagdi trailhead) and northward into the Kali Gandaki valley toward Jomsom; onward jeeps also reach the Dhorpatan approach roads.