Satopanth Lake Travel Guide
A sacred glacial lake at 4,402 m — 22 km beyond Mana village, believed to be the site where Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva bathed on Ekadashi.
- Altitude
- 4,402 m
- Best season
- Jun–Sep
- From Dehradun
- ~322 km to Mana, then 22 km trek
- Category
- Trek
Satopanth Lake is a triangular glacial lake at 4,402 m in the Chamoli district, set against the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers with the Chaukhamba and Neelkanth massifs as backdrop. The 22 km trail from Mana village (itself 3 km from Badrinath) gains 1,400 metres and takes 2 days with a camp at Chakratirth (14 km). The lake is considered sacred — its three corners are associated with Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva), and it is said the three gods bathe here on Ekadashi (the 11th day of each lunar fortnight).
The trek is demanding but requires no technical climbing — fit trekkers with good acclimatisation can complete it. The route passes through moraines, boulder fields and high-altitude meadows. Permits are required from the Forest Department at Badrinath. No commercial infrastructure exists beyond Mana; camping gear and all supplies must be carried in.