Getting There
Katon-Karagai can be reached via Oskemen, a main city of East Kazakhstan region. Kazakhstan airline companies offer flights to Ust-Kamenogorsk. Trains or buses also can be used to get to Ust-Kamenogorsk.
Further, a bus or a car can be used in order to get from Oskemen to Katon-Karagai (500 km).
What to Expect
The park features a range of natural environments, including mountainous terrain, deep valleys, dense forests, alpine meadows, and pristine rivers and lakes. The Altai Mountains are a prominent feature, and the park is part of the larger Altai-Sayan Ecoregion, known for its exceptional natural beauty. The main attractions are Belukha Mountain, Kokkol waterfall, Berelmounds, and Rakhmanovskoye Lake.
History
The park was founded in July 2001 the same year Katon Karagai National Park was praised by WWF International as a “Gift to the Earth”, a globally important conservation action that gives some welcome additional protection to the area. In 2014 the park was included in the list of the specially protected heritage of UNESCO due to its attractions, landscape, variety of flora and fauna. Later, in June 2017 in Paris, the park was nominated for the Greater Altai Transboundary Biosphere Reserve.
