The Shivaliks form a belt, which runs continuously from Jammu, Kangra valley, Sirmur district to Dehradun and finally ending up in the Bhabbar tracts of Garhwal and Kumaon. The Shivaliks extends about 1,689 km from southwest Kashmir through northern India into southern Nepal. The hills consists of 6000 meters of layered rocks. They are known as the sub-Himalayas or the foothills and were formed by the erosion caused by the rise of the Himalayas.

Along the southern edges of Himachal Pradesh , from the Kangra valley to the Sirmaur regions the Shivalik hills are all developed. In the valleys between the Shivalik and the main northern ranges are located the Doon valleys. Dehradoon has emerged out to be the best-known towns of the Sivalik regions and also an important tourist hub.

The Shivaliks are facing serious problems like soil erosion, degradation of water catchment areas which is reducing agricultural productivities. This region contains the Bhabar which is formed due to the deposition of gravels, alluvium washed down from the foothills, which has a narrow strip of forest locally called Char Kose Jhadi.

The Shivaliks now lack in vegetative growth and the topography is dusty. Some places are being promoted as tourist destinations nowadays like the Renuka Lake. The Patli dun, forms part of the Corbett National Park, one of the only regions of the Shivaliks to preserve its flora and fauna. The valleys are roofed with thick grasslands and the slopes have lush Sal forests. The forests abound in animals barking deer, spotted deer, tigers, rivers glow with Masheers and "Ghariyal".

The Shivaliks have shallow erodable soils, which makes it unsuitable for agricultural production. The forests consist mainly of chir pine and tropical mixed hardwoods of which sal is often a major component. Middle - upper Shivaliks have grassland type of vegetation. Maize, wheat, millet and mustard are the main crops produced in the Shivalik hills. The availability of irrigation water makes it suitable for the production of rice.

The Dun (Doon) known as the Inner Terai are long, broad, gently sloping valleys, and are generally more populated than the rest of the Sivalik Hills region.

Sivalik Fossil Park, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla is a charming little hill station located in the Shivalik hills, and many temples are center of attraction for travelers in the Shivalik hills. All these points make the Shivalik hills an ultimate paradise of beauty and peace. That is the reason why people flock in large numbers every year to these hills for a beautiful experience devoid of the heat and unpleasant climatic conditions.