The name Doodhpathiri means 'Valley of Milk'. It is said that the famous poet and saint of Kashmir, Sheikh-Ul- Aalam, has prayed here, and once, when he was in search of water to offer prayers, he pricked the ground with his stick, and milk came out, and the meadow got its name, 'Doodhpathiri'.
The water that is currently flowing through the meadows has a milky appearance from a distance and remains very cold throughout the year. The vast meadows and shining streams and brooks enhance its beauty.
Doodhpathiri lies in a bowl-shaped valley in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas, at an altitude of 2730 metres above the sea level. It is covered with snowclad mountains and meadows of pine, fir, deodar, and wildflowers such as daisies, buttercups, forget-me-nots during spring and summer.