National park

NATIONAL PARK

There is a national park of the same name in the region.
Katon-Karagay State National Park is the largest park in Kazakhstan. The total area of the park is 643 477 hectares.

The national park was founded in July 2001, thanks to diversity of landscapes, flora, fauna and invaluable cultural heritage, it was included in the UNESCO list of specially protected natural areas in 2014. Later, in June 2017, the park was awarded the status of The Great Altay transboundary biosphere reserve.

The territory of the park is a part of the Altay-Sayan mountain system, included in the list of 200 priority global eco-regions of the planet. All border areas around the Katon-Karagay National Park from the Russian, Chinese, Mongolian sides are also protected, but they have different statuses.

The main objectives of the park are: conservation of the ecosystems of the Southern Altay; conservation of genetic resources of flora and fauna; preservation of natural and cultural heritage sites; conducting scientific research and organizing monitoring of the state of the natural environment; organization of tourism.
There are valleys and gorges of the Belaya and Chernaya Berel rivers, the upstream of the Bukhtarma river.
Southern slopes of the Listvyaga and Katunsky ridges. Southern and eastern slopes of the Belukha massif. Southern Altay, Tarbagatay-Altay, Sarymsakty Ridges, the western part of the Ukok plateau on the territory of Kazakhstan.
The Katon-Karagay park area is unique not only in Kazakhstan but in the whole world.

Rules for visiting the national park:

We did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrowed it from our children.

When visiting Katon-Karagay National Park it is NOT allowed to

be in a specially protected natural area without a supporting document confirming payment for the use the area;

exit and travel outside public roads or special excursion trails and tourist routes;

park cars and other vehicles outside the designated places;

park and wash cars and other vehicles on the banks of water bodies, wash dishes, wash clothes, bathe pets;

use motorized swimming facilities on water bodies, except the facilities used by the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Specially Protected Natural Territories;

make fires, install barbecues, cook outside specially established and equipped places;

set up camps, tents, in places not suitable for these purposes;

fish with nets and other prohibited tools and means, as well as exceeding the norms for catching fish established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

take wild animals without permit;

scare away and feed wild animals;

destruct nests, burrows, lairs and anthills;

cut down, break and damage trees and shrubs, collect rods for brooms for household needs;

destruct and damage natural, historical, cultural, archaeological monuments;

collect and dig up wild trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants and medicinal raw materials outside the permitted collection sites;

pick wild fruits, hunt mushrooms and berries outside specially designated areas;

break and damage forest management and land management signs;

draw and write on buildings, trees, stones and rocks;

throw out household rubbish;

create acoustic affects on the environment;

Other activities that violate the natural development and conservation of natural objects.

In order to eliminate the factor of disturbance, the administration of the Katon-Karagay National Park may impose restrictions on visiting places of mass concentrations of wild animals, including fish, during their migration and reproduction.

ATTENTION!!!

The basis for visiting the territory of the national park is that the visitor has a document confirming payment for the use of protected areas. A document confirming payment for the use of protected areas must be kept until the end of the visit.