Camping in Soon Valley means choosing between one managed site with basic facilities and a scattering of informal spots where you need your own gear and some local permission. This guide covers where people actually camp, what to check before you pitch a tent away from a managed site, how cold it gets at night, and what to pack.
For the valley's full layout and route order, see our Soon Valley guide; for the lakes specifically, our Uchali Lake guide covers birdwatching and the camping options nearest the water.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Managed site | Kanhatti Garden, a designated camping area with basic facilities |
| Other options | TDCP property grounds; informal camping near Sakesar's forest road |
| Lakeside camping | No managed site directly at Uchali or Khabeki; nearest facilities are at Kanhatti Garden |
| Night temperature | Winter valley-floor lows can approach freezing; higher, forested ground is colder still |
| Best season | November to March for comfortable nights; avoid camping May to July |
| Bring | Your own food, water and full camping gear; shops in the valley are limited |
Where to camp
Kanhatti Garden is the valley's one designated camping spot, a landscaped garden built around a natural spring, with shaded ground and basic facilities laid out for visitors under Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) management. It is the most straightforward option if you want a managed site rather than an improvised one.
TDCP's property grounds elsewhere in the valley also allow camping for guests, and are worth checking alongside Kanhatti Garden if you want a second managed option.
The lakes themselves, Uchali and Khabeki, have no dedicated campsite on the shore. Anyone wanting to camp near the water is really camping at Kanhatti Garden or a TDCP site and visiting the lakes separately, rather than pitching a tent lakeside. Our Uchali Lake guide covers this in more detail, including the best viewpoints for a day visit.
The forested drive up towards Sakesar is the closest thing to a hilltop option, with pine and olive woodland that is unusually cool for the Salt Range. This ground is not a managed campsite, and the summit area itself is a restricted Pakistan Air Force base, so any camping here needs to stay well clear of the restricted zone and ideally be arranged with local knowledge rather than attempted blind. Our Sakesar guide explains exactly where the restricted area begins.
Permissions
Soon Valley does not have a single, published permit system for informal camping the way some national parks do. The safest approach is straightforward:
- Use Kanhatti Garden or a TDCP property if you want certainty that camping is allowed and that basic facilities exist.
- If you want to camp elsewhere, most of the valley floor is farmland and the hillsides above it are forest land, so ask locally, whether that is a landowner, a village elder or forest department staff you encounter, before setting up. This is standard practice across rural Punjab and avoids any awkwardness with land you did not realise was in use or watched.
- Don't assume open access near Sakesar's summit. The radar station at the top is a military facility, and camping should stay well down the approach road, away from any restricted signage or checkpoints.
How cold it gets at night
Soon Valley's daytime heat in summer is well known, but its winter nights are colder than many visitors expect. On the valley floor around Khushab, winter minimums have been recorded close to freezing, with daytime highs a comfortable 15 to 20°C even as nights drop sharply once the sun goes down. Higher, forested ground towards Sakesar is colder again, simply because temperature falls with elevation, so a tent pitched there in winter needs genuinely warm gear, not just an extra blanket.
In practice this means November to March camping needs a good sleeping bag and warm layers for the evening and early morning, even though the days themselves are pleasant. Camping in the peak of summer, from May to July, is best avoided altogether: daytime highs regularly pass 40°C and a tent gives little relief from the heat.
What to pack
- A four-season or cold-rated sleeping bag for winter nights, even though days are mild.
- A properly staked tent. Ground around the lakes and on the Sakesar approach can be exposed to wind.
- All your own food and water. Shops in the valley are limited to Naushera and a few smaller villages, and there is nothing to buy at the lakes or on the Sakesar road itself.
- A torch or headlamp. There is no lighting away from the managed sites and villages.
- Layers for a big day-night temperature swing, particularly in winter and spring, when daytime warmth and night-time cold can differ sharply.
- A basic first aid kit and a fully charged phone, since mobile signal and medical facilities both thin out once you leave Naushera.
Is camping in Soon Valley worth it?
For birdwatchers wanting to be at Uchali or Khabeki at dawn, or for anyone who prefers a slower, overnight pace to a rushed day trip from Islamabad, camping at Kanhatti Garden or a TDCP site is a reasonable way to do it, with real facilities rather than nothing at all. If you are looking for a scenic, informal wild camp with sweeping views, the Sakesar approach comes closest, but it demands more self-sufficiency and local awareness than the managed sites. For most visitors on a single day trip, a managed site or simply driving back to Naushera or Islamabad in the evening is the simpler choice; our where to stay in Soon Valley guide covers indoor options if camping is not for your group.
Frequently asked questions
Can you camp at Uchali Lake?
Not directly on the shore. The nearest facilities are at Kanhatti Garden and TDCP properties, both a short drive from the lake, so most lakeside visits are day trips rather than lakeside camps.
Is there a fee to camp at Kanhatti Garden?
Fees are set by TDCP and can change, so check directly with them before your trip rather than relying on a figure printed elsewhere.
How cold does it get camping in Soon Valley in winter?
Valley-floor nights can approach freezing in December and January, with daytime highs a mild 15 to 20°C. Higher ground towards Sakesar is colder still, so pack a properly warm sleeping bag.
Do I need permission to camp in Soon Valley?
There is no single published permit system. Camping at Kanhatti Garden or a TDCP site avoids the question; anywhere else, ask locally before setting up, since most land in the valley is farmed or forested.
Is it safe to camp near Sakesar's summit?
The summit itself is a restricted Pakistan Air Force base and is off limits. Camping should stay on the approach road and forest areas well below it, not near the restricted zone.
