Travel from any city in Kazakhstan to Katon-Karagay Park -
Jeep tour of the Katon-Karagay Nature Reserve and East Kazakhstan -
Katon-Karagay Nature Park is a state national reserve, opened in 2001 on the territory of the Katon-Karagay district of the East Kazakhstan region. The beautiful and pristine nature of the park attracts travelers from all over the world, there are many natural attractions and various kinds of tourist routes and mountain trails. The highest peak, Mount Belukha (4506) is located on the border with Russia, in the Katunsky Range. The Park borders Russia in the north, stretching to the Kyzyl-Karagay and Katyn Ranges, with the Altai Republic and China in the east and the Markakol Nature Reserve along the Temirkaba River in the south of Kazakhstan.
How to get there, visit -
The Katon-Karagay Nature Reserve is located in the Katon-Karagay district, East Kazakhstan region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 49°10′N 85°36′E
Tourism and attractions -
The Katon-Karagay Park is rich in natural and cultural monuments. Here are the Tarkhan geological section and the Rakhmanov hot spring, where you can swim and improve your health in hot water springs. The Saki Berel burial mound and the Kokkol mine located here are cultural and historical monuments of Kazakhstan. Most of the park is occupied by the Bukhtarma River basin and the southern part by the Karakaba River. Here are the famous Kokkol waterfall, Arasan Lake, Yazevoye Lake, Yazevyi waterfall, Rakhmanov Lake, Rakhmanov waterfall, the Belaya Berel River, the Burkhat Pass, the Arasan waterfall, the Arasan River, etc. To stay in the protected area, special permits are required, which can be obtained in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk. Also, to stay in the border zone of the park, special passes and permits from the border service are required. We invite you to visit this natural corner of our vast country and spend an unforgettable time here traveling through the sights of the park.
Flora fauna climate -
The Katon-Karagay Reserve is home to 72 species of mammals, the main ones are deer, elk, mountain goat, bear, lynx. There are more than 250 species of birds, including rare, protected and listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. Cedar, pine, spruce, birch, beech, poplar grow in the park. More than 40 species of plants, including golden root and Altai rhubarb, are very rare, the range of which is decreasing from year to year, and they are also listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.
The Katon-Karagay Park extends across the Altai tundra and alpine meadows, as well as the Altai steppe and semi-desert eco-regions. These eco-regions represent complete zones of altitudinal vegetation from steppe to alpine tundra and exhibit very high biodiversity, as they lie on the biogeographic divide between Siberia to the north and the deserts of Central Asia to the south. The characteristic climate of the area varies with altitude, so that at mid-altitudes the climate is humid continental, with cool summers. While above the tree line the climate is polar. Precipitation patterns are influenced by the mountainous topography and zonation due to altitude.
Photogallery: