Altyn-Emel National Park: Aktau Mountains

The Aktau cretaceous mountains are the main attraction of the Altyn-Emel National Park after the Singing Dune.

The Aktau mountains ("white mountains" in Kazakh) are a unique geological formation, the bottom of a dried-up ancient ocean, which got its name from the main white color of the constituent rocks.

Location

The Aktau mountains are located in the southeast of the Altyn-Emel National Park, south of the Dzhungarian Alatau ridge, 72 km from the Basshi village.

The length of the Aktau mountains from east to west is 30 km, from north to south - up to 2 km. The total area is about 50 sq.km.

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Aktau Mountains: Ancient Ocean Bottom

The farthest tourist route in the Altyn-Emel National Park is the road to the Aktau mountains.

The Aktau mountain range was the bottom of a huge ancient lake (according to one version, of the ancient Tethys ocean), which once filled the Ili depression.

Sedimentary rocks of various colors have formed beautiful gorges and canyons here over time. Against the background of the endless desert, the multi-colored Aktau mountains look like a picturesque scenery for a fantastic film, with their alien landscape.

Not far from Aktau there are other desert mountains, Katutau. They amaze with the bizarre shapes of the lava frozen after powerful volcanic eruptions here.

On the way to Aktau and Katutau, you can stop by the Kosbastau post. In this green oasis in the midst of the desert, there grow huge ancient willows.

Natural Open-Air Geological Museum

The Aktau mountains are massive sedimentary deposits of a huge ancient lake (according to one version, of the ancient Tethys Ocean), which once filled the Ili basin.

The height of the deposits reaches 1000 m.

As a result of the tectonic and erosional activity, beautiful gorges and canyons have emerged over time, composed of belt sedimentary rocks of various colors: green, red, blue and white.

Despite their name ("white mountains"), the Aktau mountains are multi-colored, striped and very bright.

With its rich geological formations, the Altyn-Emel National Park beats many of the world's reserves that have the status of a geopark.

The Aktau mountains make it possible to visually reconstruct the geological and paleontological chronicle of this unique territory, to trace the entire long history from the moment the first dryland appeared to the formation of desert mountains, with their inherent flora and fauna.

Aktautitan and Other Paleontological Finds

The remains of ancient plants and animals have been found in the Aktau mountains.

There are several large findspots of the Cenozoic fauna remains in the Aktau mountains. As a result of the excavations, numerous fragments of the skeletons of ancient animals that lived in different eras of the Cenozoic (about 50 million years ago) were discovered: rhinoceroses, crocodiles, mollusks, turtles, deer, mastodons.

The fully preserved skeleton of Brontoterium, the ancestor of the modern hippopotamus, was discovered during joint Kazakh-American expeditions in 1995-1997. The remains found did not belong to any known species.

So a new species was discovered in Kazakhstan, aktautitan, named after the Aktau mountains. (The exhibits are kept in the "Gylym Ordasy" Museum of Nature of the Kazakh Academy of Sciences in Almaty, as well as in the visit center of the national park).

In addition to the remains of fauna in the Aktau mountains, there are findspots of Miocene flora - poplar, willow, elm, barberry, ailanto and other plants (56 species in total), as well as the progenitors of modern tugai trees growing in this region. This flora reflects the gradual aridization (drying out) of the local climate.

Tourist Attraction

Unearthly, alien landscapes, similar to a fantastic film scenery, can be seen from afar.

The Aktau mountains attract lovers of unusual picturesque views, hiking and cycling, and photography. The gorges and colorful canyons of this mountain range are a long labyrinth that is interesting to explore.

There is no better place for lovers of geology and paleontology - this is a real open-air museum. Here you can find dozens of different rocks, scattered along the gorges or laid out in the form of a layer cake.

The Aktau mountains are ideal for photo tours and drone filming due to the variety of landscapes and beautiful views. Tourists often come here overnight to see these landscapes at sunset and sunrise.

The striped mountain in the shape of a yurt, which is located at the very entrance to the canyon, is especially popular. There are several such "yurts" in Aktau.

Camping

At the foot of the Aktau mountains, you can stay overnight in tents or campers, but you need to have a supply of water with you, since there are no water sources here.

The camping site has gazebos and toilets. More modern and environmentally friendly camping sites are located a little further from the Aktau mountains, in the steppe.

Tourists often come here with bicycles to ride through the long labyrinths of mountain gorges. You can also come here on motorcycles, but it is forbidden to ride them inside the canyon, due to the fragility of the rocks (the Aktau mountains are subject to intense erosion).

Aktau Mountains: Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit the Aktau mountains in the Altyn-Emel National Park is spring and autumn.

Summer in Altyn-Emel can be extremely hot for unprepared tourists. The scorching sun and the complete absence of shade in the desert make it difficult to walk through the Aktau mountains.

The winter season is suitable for trips to Altyn-Emel, provided that the weather is clear, calm, without precipitation and snow cover. The Aktau mountains are practically devoid of vegetation and are beautiful at any time of the year. Please check the road conditions with the park office and look up the weather on the Internet (check the Basshi village).

Travel Advisory

The park is open for visitors only during daylight hours.
You can stay overnight at the foot of the Aktau mountains, please warn the national park officials when purchasing the permit and the rangers at the entrance.
It is prohibited to move around the park during dark hours.
There are no water sources at all in the Aktau and Katutau mountains.
There is almost no mobile communication in the park and the Internet does not work.
The road along Route 3 is gravelly soil (chatter bumps), dusty and bad, causing strong vibration.
The section of the road to the Katutau mountains is the worst and is rarely graded.
Access to the Aktau mountains is only possible through the Basshi village.

Learn more about the route to know how much time you will need to visit the park.

Tourist Route 3 (Aktau and Katutau mountains) >>>

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