Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Kumaon Regiment (KRC) & Naga Regiment and is maintained by the Indian Army.

Ranikhet is at an altitude of 1869 metres above sea level and within sight of the western peaks of the Himalayas.

Ranikhet, which means Queen's meadow in English, gets its name from a local legend, which states that it was here, that Raja Sudhardev won the heart of his queen, Rani Padmini, who subsequently chose the area for her residence, giving it the name, Ranikhet, though no palace exists in the area.

In 1869, the British established the headquarters of the Kumaon Regiment here and used the station as a retreat from the heat of the Indian summer. At one time during British Raj, it was also proposed as the summer headquarters of Government of India, in lieu of Shimla. In 1900, it had a summer population of 7,705, and its corresponding winter population was measured in 1901 as 3,153 ]

Ranikhet is located at 29.65° N 79.42° E. It has an average elevation of 1,869 metres (6,132 feet). The cantonment is spread across two ridges, first called the Ranikhet ridge is situated at an elevation of 5,983 ft. and the second, the Chaubattia ridge, is at an elevation of 6,942 ft.

Ranikhet becomes very cold in the winters and remains moderate in summers, and is best enjoyed from October to March. Ranikhet gets snowfall in the winter season, mainly in the months of December, January and February.

The reserve forests of Pine, Oak and Deodar in Ranikhet, host a vast bio-diversity of flora and fauna, its array of wildlife include, Leopard, Leopard Cat, Mountain Goat, Barking Deer, Sambhar, Pine Mertin, Wild Bear, Indian Hare, Red Faced Monkey, Jackal, Langur, Red Fox, and Porcupine.