Lachhiwala Nature Park

Twenty kilometres out on the Haridwar road, the forest department has turned a stretch of dense sal woodland into a picnic ground built around water: shallow stone-lined pools fed by the Suswa stream, cold enough that in May they are the entire point. Around them run shaded trails, a small herbal garden and a butterfly area, with changing rooms and lawns. April to June is the season, which is also when the crowds arrive. The ticket is modest, Mondays are closed, and a weekday morning buys the quiet version.

Cold stream-fed pools under sal shade: the valley's own answer to May