Tariat

Overview

Tariat soum holds the Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park, protected as a nature reserve since 1965. Its centrepiece is Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake (the Great White Lake), at 2,060 metres above sea level.

The lake and the volcano are one story. Khorgo last erupted around 8,000 years ago, and its lava flooded the valley and dammed the river, forming the lake. The cone rises 120 metres to a summit crater 180 metres across, with steam vents that freeze into ice in winter.

The lake is about 16 km long, covers some 61 km² and averages 20 metres deep. Ten rivers flow in and only the Suman flows out. It is a Ramsar wetland, and the marshes at its west end are an important breeding ground for birds.

What to See

• Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake and its small island, which local legend calls the top of Uran Mandal mountain
• The climb to the crater rim of Khorgo, a dormant volcano at the lake's eastern end
• Birdlife in the marshes at the west end of the lake
• Lava fields around the volcano

Visiting

• Ger camps along the lake shore make it an easy overnight stop on the road across the Khangai.
• June to September is the season; at over 2,000 metres, nights are cold even in summer.
• The lake shrank by about 6% between 1995 and 2015, so visitors are asked to camp and drive with care near the shore.