Sheikh Badin National Park, established in 2003, covers about 155 sq km (15,540 hectares) of the Sheikh Badin Hills near Darra Pezu, on the border of Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat districts in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At its centre is a former British hill station at about 1,300 metres, whose ruined buildings survive among the park's dry scrub forest alongside a saint's shrine. It sits within districts the UK government currently advises against all travel to.
This guide covers Sheikh Badin's history, the national park and its wildlife, and the access and safety picture in 2026.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Near Darra Pezu, between Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat districts, KP |
| Altitude | About 1,300 metres |
| Status | National park, designated 2003 |
| Area | 15,540 hectares, about 155 sq km |
| Built as | Summer station for British-era officials |
| UK advice (September 2026) | Against all travel to both Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat districts |
A hill station the British built and left
Under British rule Sheikh Badin was used as a summer station by civil officials from the districts below, a place to escape the extreme heat of the plains around Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu. Accounts differ on exactly when building began and which officials and garrisons used it, so we don't give dates here.
What remains from that period includes the ruins of administrative buildings, a police station, a cemetery, sports grounds and houses scattered across the hilltop. Unlike Murree or the Galiyat, which grew into full hill resorts after independence, Sheikh Badin was largely abandoned once the British left, and its buildings have fallen into ruin rather than being maintained or redeveloped. The hill takes its name from the Sufi saint Sheikh Baha-u-Din Shah, known locally as Jando Neko, who is said to have settled here around 1600 and is buried in the village's main cemetery. Local tradition also holds that Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani spent forty days in seclusion on the hill.
The national park today
Sheikh Badin was formally designated a national park in 2003, covering 15,540 hectares, about 155 square kilometres, of dry subtropical forest and scrub in the Sheikh Badin Hills, an eastern extension of the Sulaiman range. The elevation gives noticeably cooler air and wide views over the surrounding plains compared with Dera Ismail Khan or Bannu below.
Surveys have recorded 107 plant species in the park, 41 bird species (18 of them migratory) and 23 species of reptiles and amphibians. Birds include the chukar partridge, black francolin and common kestrel; reptiles include the leopard gecko, the Bengal monitor and two dangerous snakes, Russell's viper and the saw-scaled viper, so watch where you put your hands and feet among the rocks.
In recent years the provincial government has added basic camping infrastructure, including camping pods intended as simple overnight shelters, tents, and basic bathroom and cooking facilities, part of a wider push to develop camping-based tourism sites across southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Development has been intermittent, and facilities should not be assumed to be fully staffed or maintained year-round; check locally before planning to camp.
Getting there
Sheikh Badin is reached from the Indus Highway near the town of Pezu, by a road up the hill that has historically been poor and unpaved in sections, and is regularly damaged by monsoon rain. There is no public transport network serving the site directly, and it is realistically only accessible with a private vehicle and local knowledge of current road conditions.
Is it safe to visit Sheikh Badin?
Sheikh Badin sits on the boundary between Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat districts, both of which the UK government's Pakistan travel advice, updated 22 September 2026, advises against all travel to. Lakki Marwat saw a bomb attack on a crowded market in the town of Sarai Naurang in May 2026 that killed at least nine people, and Dera Ismail Khan saw a suicide bombing at a wedding in January 2026 that killed at least seven. Both districts also border areas with a longer history of militant activity.
This is not somewhere to attempt independently as a tourist in 2026. If you have local hosts or family who know the current road and security situation, go with them, travel by day, and check recent local news before setting out. Visitors from overseas should check their own government's current advice, which may say not to travel there, and note that doing so anyway can void travel insurance.
Who is Sheikh Badin for?
On its own merits, it is an interesting, little-visited colonial ruin with real historical texture and cooler air than the plains around it, the kind of place that would interest anyone drawn to Pakistan's abandoned British-era hill stations. Given the current advisory covering both districts it sits between, it is not a trip to plan independently in 2026, and it belongs firmly in the category of places for people with strong local connections and current, on-the-ground knowledge, not for a general visitor's itinerary. Our guide to places to visit in Dera Ismail Khan covers the wider district and its current situation.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sheikh Badin?
A former British-era hill station at about 1,300 metres, inside Sheikh Badin National Park, which was established in 2003 and covers about 155 sq km between Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat districts in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It has old British ruins, a saint's shrine and dry scrub forest.
When was Sheikh Badin National Park established?
In 2003. It covers 15,540 hectares of the Sheikh Badin Hills near Darra Pezu.
How do you get to Sheikh Badin?
Via a hill road from Pezu on the Indus Highway. The road has historically been poor and there is no public transport serving the site, so a private vehicle and local knowledge of current conditions are needed.
Is Sheikh Badin safe to visit?
It sits between Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat, both of which the UK government advises against all travel to. It is not a trip to attempt independently in 2026; go only with local hosts who know the current situation.
Are there camping facilities at Sheikh Badin?
The park has had basic camping pods and tent facilities added in recent years as part of a provincial tourism push, but development has been intermittent, so check locally before planning to camp there.
