Nature of Mongolia - national parks and reserves for active recreation

In the western part of Mongolia bordering Russia and China is located the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park. Within the territory of this park you can see lakes, river valleys, high-mountain forests and vast massifs of Kurums. On the north side of the park is the highest point of Mongolia, the Khuiten Uul peak which is 4,374 meters high. In this park, there are several large lakes such as Dayan Lake, Khoton Lake and Khurgan Lake. The harsh climate characterized by its strong frosts and winds is the reason why the vegetative season is extraordinarily short. Tavan Bogd is rich not only in its natural habitat, but also in ancient architectural buildings and monuments. Its landscape is perfect for mountain sports. In addition, it is possible to organize camel rides and rafting on kayaks on its rivers.

Gurvan Saikhan is the largest National Park in Mongolia. It was established in 1993 but its area was expanded in 2000. The Park is situated in the Northern part of the Gobi Desert and received its name from the Gurvan Saikhan Uul Ridge located on its territory, which means “Three Beauties of Gobi”. The Eastern, Central and Western ridge forms the eastern part of Gurvan Saikhan. The rest of the Park’s land is a desert, while some places are covered with barchan sand. There is a canyon Elin-Am in the terrain. Its bottom used to be covered with ice the whole year round but nowadays it melts in the summer. Dinosaur boneyard can be considered as the most astounding place. Its age is estimated at 80 billion years.

The Khovsgol National Park formed in 1992 has an area of ​​838.1 thousand hectares and includes Lake Khovsgol as well as the highlands and headwaters of river Egine-gol which flows out of the lake. On the shore of the lake grows mostly deciduous forest with the dried up softwood that has formed over many years. It looks very beautiful particularly in photographs. However because of this litter in the area, the probability of a fire outbreak is high. Bonfires can only be lit in specially prepared spots; otherwise anything contrary would attract a fine. Every guest must have with him a special permission for visitation. This is issued upon entry into to the Park. The Park itself is divided into zones. These zones are assigned different statuses for visits. There are specially protected places where it is prohibited to enter without gaining prior approval from the administration. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Khara Us Nur was created with the aim to safeguard the unique natural ecosystem of lakes. The Park is located 45 kilometers east of the Khovd aimag and includes the Jargalant Khairkhan Mountain located on the Southeast. The slopes of this mountain are have a lot of canyons. The climate in this area is sharply continental and because of the surrounding mountain ridges, the air is extremely cold in winter and hot in summer. The Fauna in the reserve combines both taiga animals: morals, lynxes and chipmunks, and steppe inhabitants: a long-tailed ground squirrel, a Daurian hamster and a bustard. The Great Lakes Basin is considered one of the territories that have international significance. This part of the park is included in the list of the Ramsar Convention.

The landscape of the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park combines the Steppe southern slopes of the mountains and the northern slopes covered with hard taiga. The forest rises up to a height of 2,200 meters. This is where the balds are located. For experienced mountaineers, it is not difficult to climb such peaks even without climbing equipment. The park features a lot of rock-remains. The most popular among them is called “Turtle Stone” and the glacial lake Hagiin Har whose highest depth is 20 meters. In the Southern part of the Park, there is a tourist sector with yurt bases where Children’s playgrounds, restaurants and souvenir shops are set up. One of the services available is riding a rented horse or a camel.

Onon-Balj National Park is situated in the Northeast of Mongolia. Its name comes from the rivers Onon and Balj. The purpose of the park is to protect the natural ecosystem of the region and the cultural heritage of the Buryats. There are tamen, lenok, river perch, and salmon in Onon-Balj water bodies. Here, you can also find a stopping place for migratory birds such as ducks and swans. The uniqueness of the Buryat culture and its beautiful landscape (according to some sources, Genghis Khan was born here) are creating excellent preconditions for the development of ecological tourism and the creation of favorable conditions for active recreation.