Altai Tavan Bogd National Park

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park occupies the far northwestern corner of Mongolia, where the borders of Russia and China converge at a single point high in the Altai Mountains. Established in 1996, this 6,362-square-kilometer protected area encompasses the highest peaks in Mongolia, including Khüiten Peak at 4,374 meters—the country’s roof. The name “Tavan Bogd” means “Five Holy Peaks,” referring to the five sacred summits that rise above the Potanin Glacier: Khüiten (“Cold Peak”), Nairamdal (“Friendship”), Malchin (“Herder”), Bürged (“Eagle”), and Ölgii (“Motherland”).

The park protects an extraordinary range of landscapes, from permanently glaciated peaks to alpine meadows, from dense larch forests to crystal-clear lakes. Three major freshwater lakes—Khoton, Khurgan, and Dayan—fill glacier-carved basins and form the headwaters of the Khovd River. The park contains 34 glaciers in total, with the Potanin Glacier stretching 14 kilometers as Mongolia’s longest. This is one of the most biodiverse regions in Central Asia, home to snow leopards, Altai argali (the world’s largest wild sheep), Siberian ibex, gray wolves, and golden eagles—the latter revered by the Kazakh people who have made this region their home for centuries.