Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Plants
Mongolia can be roughly divided into three zones: grassland and shrub land (55% of the
country); forests, which only cover parts of the mountain steppe (8%); and desert (36%).
Less than 1% of the country is used for human settlement and crop cultivation.
Forests of Siberian larch (sometimes up to 45m in height), Siberian and Scotch pine,
and white and ground birch cover parts of northern Mongolia. In the Gobi, saxaul shrub
covers millions of hectares and is essential in anchoring the desert sands and preventing
degradation and erosion. Saxaul takes a century to grow to around 4m in height, creating
wood so dense that it sinks in water.
Khentii aimag and some other parts of central Mongolia are famous for the effusion of
red, yellow and purple wildflowers, mainly rhododendrons and edelweiss. Extensive
grazing is the major threat to Mongolia's flowers, trees and shrubs; more than 200 spe-
cies are endangered.
NATIONAL PARKS & PROTECTED AREAS
TIME
TO
VISIT
NATIONAL
PARKS
FEATURES
ACTIVITIES
Altai Tavan
Bogd Nation-
al Park
mountains, glaciers, lakes;
argali sheep, ibexes, snow
leopards, eagles, falcons
mountaineering, horse
trekking, backpacking, fish-
ing, eagle hunting (winter)
Jun-Sep
river rafting, hiking, mountain
biking, rock climbing, camp-
ing, cross-country skiing,
horse riding
Gorkhi-Terelj
National Park
rugged hills, boulders,
streams
year-
round
desert mountains, canyons,
sand dunes; Gobi argali
sheep, ibexes, black-tailed
gazelles
Gurvan
Saikhan Na-
tional Park
hiking, sand-dune sliding,
camel trekking, birdwatching
May-Oct
Khorgo-
Terkhiin
Tsagaan
Nuur Nation-
al Park
lake and mountains;
wolves, deer, foxes
fishing, hiking, horse trekking,
birdwatching
May-Sep
