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Natural Heritage · Natural site

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Terelj; Turtle Rock (Melkhii Khad)

Rock formations, forests and the Terelj and Tuul rivers within easy reach of the capital, best known for Turtle Rock.

Location
Nalaikh district, Ulaanbaatar
Type
Natural site
Key Fact
Protected since 1993

About the Site

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park was established in 1993 and covers some 2,920 km². Its visitor area lies in the Nalaikh district of Ulaanbaatar; the protected land north of the Terelj river belongs to Töv aimag.

The Terelj river runs through the valley where the Terelj settlement stands, and the Tuul river also flows through the park. Brown bears live in the forests, and more than 250 bird species have been recorded.

What to See

  • Turtle Rock (Melkhii Khad), a rock formation popular with climbers
  • The Terelj valley and the Tuul river
  • A Buddhist monastery in the park that is open to visitors

Visiting

  • The Terelj settlement is about 66 km from central Ulaanbaatar; the park road branches off the main road about 37 km from the city.
  • An easy day or overnight trip from the capital.

Distances and travel times are approximate. Check local conditions, opening hours and permits before you travel.

Sources

Also in the Region

Ulaanbaatar and Around

All heritage sites

Second Göktürk Khaganate

Tonyukuk Inscriptions

Two steles raised by Tonyukuk, the counsellor of four Göktürk qaghans, recounting the revival of the Turks; among the oldest Turkic texts.

Bogd Khaganate

Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan

The residence of the Bogd Khan, Mongolia's last monarch, and the only one of his four palaces still standing.

Qing period and Bogd Khaganate

Gandan Monastery

Mongolia's leading Buddhist monastery, whose great Janraisig temple was raised by the Bogd Khan to mark independence in 1911.

Qing period

Manzushir Monastery

The ruins of a great monastery on the southern slope of Bogd Khan Mountain, destroyed in the purges of 1937.

Natural site

Khustai National Park

Steppe and mountain country west of Ulaanbaatar where the takhi, the Przewalski's horse, was returned to the wild in 1992.

Qing period and Bogd Khaganate

Choijin Lama Temple

The temple complex of the State Oracle, brother of the Bogd Khan, preserved as a museum in the heart of Ulaanbaatar since 1938.

Modern monument

Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue

A 40-metre stainless steel statue of Genghis Khan on horseback, raised in 2008 where legend says he found a golden whip.