Natural Heritage · Natural site
Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake
A high mountain lake dammed by the lava of the Khorgo volcano, at the heart of a national park in the Khangai.
- Location
- Tariat, Arkhangai aimag
- Type
- Natural site
- Key Fact
- Protected since 1965
About the Site
Around 8,000 years ago the Khorgo volcano erupted and its lava flooded the valley below. The lava dam formed Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake, which lies at 2,060 metres above sea level.
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 was named a Ramsar wetland in 1998, and the marshes at its west end are an important breeding and staging ground for birds.
The lake and the volcano have been protected since 1965 and form the Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park. The lake shrank by about 6% between 1995 and 2015.
What to See
- The lake shore, and its small island, which local legend calls the top of Uran Mandal mountain
- Khorgo volcano at the eastern end: a 120-metre cone with a crater 180 metres across
- Birdlife in the western marshes
Visiting
- In Tariat soum on the main road across the Khangai; ger camps line the shore.
- June to September is the season; at over 2,000 metres nights are cold even in summer.