Roopkund alias Mystery Lake, or Skeletons Lake, is a high-altitude glacial lake in the Uttarakhand state of India. It is part of the Himalayan mountain ranges.

This lake is at an altitude of 5020 meters (16,470 ft). Rock-strewn glaciers and snow-clad mountains surround the lake. The lake is frozen in winter. The lake has a depth of approximately 3 meters. The size of the lake varies in different seasons. It usually is around 1000 to 1500 square meters in area.

The lake’s edges have many ancient human skeletons and can be seen when the ice melts for around one month. Hence the name Skeleton Lake. It is believed that the skeletons are those of a group of people from the 9th century who might have been killed in a sudden hailstorm as all of them suffered a head injury. These skeletons were first seen in 1942. Wooden artifacts, leather slippers, and iron spearheads were also found with the skeletons. Recent radiocarbon dating combined with genome-wide analysis found that the skeletons belong to three different groups from different eras.

A few samples of the skeletons from here are displayed in the Anthropological Survey of India Museum, Dehradun. It is reported that people are taking the selections out of the area on mules, so there is an urgent need to preserve them.

Nanda Devi National Park is around 39 kilometers from Roopkund or Mystery Lake.

How do I go to Roopkund alias Mystery Lake or Skeletons Lake?

This lake is in Chamoli District.

The distance to the lake from Chamoli town is around 16.8 kilometers. You need to trek a few kilometers to reach the skeleton lake of Roop Kund Lake.