Bugyal (meadows) in the local language means "high altitude meadow". The road to Dayara Bugyal branches off near Bhatwari a place on Uttarkashi-Gangotri road about 28 km from Uttarkashi. Vehicles can go up to the village of Barsu from where one has to trek a distance of about 8 km to reach Dayara and other route is via village Raithal, 10 km from Bhatwari, from where one has to trek about 6 km to Dayara Bugyal. Situated at an elevation of about 3048 m, this vast meadow is second to none in natural beauty. During winter it provides excellent ski slopes over an area of 28 sq km. The panoramic view of the Himalayas from here is breathtaking. Presently accommodation is available at Bhatwari and some villager's huts may also be used by professional skiers.

Mundali
Mundali is situated in district Dehradun, 129 km from Dehradun via Chakrata. Mundali offers an unforgettable view of the snow capped Himalayas. The place has vast ski slopes on which professionals can enjoy skiing. As accommodation facility is only available at Forest Rest House, therefore one has to ensure accommodation through the Forest Department .

Other Areas
Besides Auli, numerous places in Garhwal and Kumaon are full of potential for skiing where an individual or a group can enjoy this winter sport on their own. In Garhwal, Kush Kalyan and Kedar Kantha in Distt. Uttarkashi; Panwali and Matya in Distt. Tehri Garhwal and Bedni Bugyal in Chamoli and Munsyari, Chiplakot Valley in Distt. Pithoragarh in Kumaon are well known potential skiing resorts where professionals can do skiing.

The road to Dayara Bugyal branches off near Bhatwari a place on Uttarkashi Gangotri road about 28kms. From Uttarkashi. Vehicles can go up to the village of Barsu from where one has to trek a distance of about 8kms to reach Dayara and other is via village Raithal, 10kms from Bhatwari from where one has to trek about 6kms to Dayara Bugyal.

Auli Bugyal
In the summer, Auli Bugyal is inviting but in the winter it is irresistible with its hoary snow slopes and skiing facilities. Auli can be reached by road or ropeway from Joshimath. It provides an excellent panoramic view of the giant mountain peaks like Nanda Devi, Kamet and Dunagiri. From January to March, the Auli slopes are usually covered with a thick carpet of snow, about 3 mts deep. The stretch of 3 Kms. with a drop in elevation of 500 mts. is considered to be a very good skiing ground by international standard. The background of lofty snow clad mountains heightens the sprit of the skiers.
To attract attention, skiing festivals are also conducted at Auli. These now include the national championships staged by the Winter Games Federation of India. While skiing is the chief attraction at Auli, there are other attraction like cable car rides and rope lifts, or spend the day outdoors building snowmen, or having snowball fights.

Bedni Bugyal
Situated near Wan, Bedni Bugyal is a charming green meadow adorned with flowers in a spell binding varieties, in full bloom. There is a small lake situated in the midst of the meadow, where Tarpans are offered by the devotees. Situated nearby is a small temple where the devotees pay there obeisance, during their halt at Bedni Bugyal.
 
Dayara Bugyal
Bugyal in the local language means “High Altitude Meadow”. Dayara Bugyal is one of the most beautiful places in Uttrakhand. Situated at an elevation ranging from 10,000-12,000 ft. This vast meadow is second to none in natural beauty in Uttaranchal. During winter it provides excellent & one of the best ski slopes in India spread over an area of 28 sq kms.

The view of Himalayas from here is breathtaking. There is a small lake (Barnala Tal) in the area, and to camp by its side is a memorable event.
The road to Dayara Bugyal branches off near Bhatwari a place on Uttarkashi Gangotri road about 28kms. From Uttarkashi. Vehicles can go up to the village of Barsu from where one has to trek a distance of about 8kms to reach Dayara and other is via village Raithal, 10kms from Bhatwari from where one has to trek about 6kms to Dayara Bugyal.

Auli Bugyal
Auli could well end up becoming the crowning glory of Uttaranchal. There was a time when tourism in Uttaranchal meant summers. But in recent times the development of Auli as a tourism destination has opened up a brand new chapter in the field of winter tourism in Garhwal.

The Auli Bugyal near Joshimath has been developed as a major winter destination for skiing. Already four National Level Skiing Championships have been held at Auli in the past few years primarily to promote winter skiing in the state. This year the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd and Uttaranchal Tourism, under the aegis of the Indian Olympic Association and the Winter Games Federation of India, have geared up to give the desired fillip to winter games in India.

Auli is playing host to the National Winter Games to be held from February 27 to March 2 this year. Technical support will be provided by the Mountaineering & Skiing Institute, ITBP, and Auli. The experience of the Winter Games will equip all the concerned departments to meet the challenges ahead and if all goes well then Auli could surely be on its way to make a bid for the 2008 Asian Winter Games. The natural advantages of Auli slopes, coupled with the state-of-the-art facilities provided by GMVN have made it comparable to the best in the world vis-à-vis winter sports.

Winter Sports have great potential to attract international tourists to the Himalayas in the lean winter months. There has been substantial thinking going on in this direction. All agree that if the tourism industry has to become the bulwark of development in Uttaranchal then it has to be freed from seasonal fluctuation. And with the formation of the new state its preparation time to propel winter tourism in a big way. Till recently the real drawbacks with respect to winter tourism were inadequate promotion and marketing of the numerous winter tourist destinations. With the publicity blitzkrieg launched by the state tourism machinery this drawback has been adequately tackled.

But a destination such as Auli has its limitations as it can attract only the adventurous and cater to just a few. Plans must, therefore, be initiated to develop other destinations for winter sports. The Dayara Bugyal in Uttarkashi and the Darwa Top in Chakrata have been rightly earmarked as destinations of great potential; and Auli slopes are being further extended to Gorson.

Chopta: Little Switzerland in Lower Garhwal
Chances are, you haven't ever heard about Chopta. A destination nestled in the rhododendron and oak forests of the lower Garhwal Himalayas; Chopta is an alpine meadow straight out of a Swiss calendar. Away from the pilgrim highway, at a height of 2,500 m, Chopta is one of those little tucked-away places which many travellers pass by, simply because they don't know about it. Part of a protected sanctuary, the lone road which ran through it not long ago has since been shut down, leaving the deodars, pines, oaks and rhododendrons to flourish into a wilderness not found anywhere in the Himalayas.

In winters, snow hides everything here - even the small track that leads to an ancient temple called Tungnath, from where you can view a staggering line-up of the Himalayan peaks. In the summer, Chopta transforms into a green, rolling meadow sheltered by a ridgeline of tall and dark deodars. As the meadow unrolls, one comes to a sun-lit patch that is Dugalbitta, a spur on which rests a whitewashed Raj bungalow, where a cane-chair in the tiny front lawn can be an ultimate vehicle to nirvana.