Shor National Park was established in 1990. It is located in the south of the Kemerovo region, on the territory of the Tashtagol administrative district. The territory of the Shor National Park has a length of 110 kilometers from north to south, and 90 kilometers from east to west.
Shor National Park occupies the south-eastern and southern territory (Tashtagol district of the Kemerovo region) in Mountain Shoria, is located at a distance of 320 kilometers from Kemerovo, 120 kilometers from Novokuznetsk.
general information
We have already found out where the Shor National Park is located, now we will find out why it was formed. The initial goal of creating the park was to preserve valuable natural sites and exhibits and reference complexes of Mountain Shoria, namely cenoses from cedar, black taiga, as well as the cultural heritage of the Shoria natives and the foundation of a recreation zone.
The forests of Mountain Shoria are called the local Alps, pine and fir prevail among the vegetation, spruce, fluffy birch, aspen and pine trees are a little less common. The forest cover of the mid-mountain zone of Shoria was almost not affected by economic activity, and they have survived to our days in almost original form.
If necessary, you can contact the administrative staff of the Shorsky park. The administration of the park can be found in the city of Tashtagol.
In the park area, research is often carried out, in which scientific groups of universities, research centers, public environmental organizations take part. The results of such important work are regularly published in thematic collections.
Ecological and educational work are the main tasks of the park. The result is the formation of environmental awareness and the development of the ecological culture of the population, primarily among the young generation.
Description
The Shor National Park, located in the Tashtagol district of the Kemerovo region, as mentioned earlier, was created to protect the sites and ecosystems of Mountain Shoria. Along with this goal, the creators also wanted to preserve the cultural heritage of the mountain Shors - a small indigenous nationality in need of help. On the territory of the park, they are allowed to engage in traditional types of their activities - hunting, farming, harvesting of wild edible plants, fishing and beekeeping.
Shor National Park has many of the most amazing natural monuments. For example, karst caves located in the basins of the Mrassa and Kabyrza rivers, char peaks with karst lakes and outlier cliffs. Sights such as Mustag Mountain, Kul Taiga Mountain with a mountain lake on top and Big Kul Taiga are also interesting. The ethnographic museum "Tazgol" is located in the park, telling about the cultural and life traditions of the mountain Shors.
In general, Shor National Park (Tashtagol district) is a great place for tourist activities and outdoor recreation, in the summer you can go rafting on the river or go horse riding, and in winter try one of the ski routes.
sights
Here are concentrated more than 70 amazing natural attractions. These include plants that can be found in the Red Book, and natural communities of an exceptional nature, cave systems, rocks, huts, outliers, waterfalls and much more.
There are 25 natural monuments in the park, 6 of which are most popular with tourists and travelers - this is the Saga waterfall, Nadezhda cave, the Monument to the Soldier geological monuments, Kabuksky station and the Drinking Elephant rock, together with Kizassky caves.
The local natural zone is called “Mountain Taiga”. The relief of the territory of the national park is a complex system of mountains divided by river valleys. The average height of the terrain above sea level is 500-800 meters, and individual peaks reach 1600-1800 meters.
Climatic and weather conditions
Shor National Park has a sharply continental, fairly cold climate, which is associated with the location of the park almost in the central part of continental Asia. The high ridges enclosing Mountain Shoria from the west by the Salair Ridge, from the south by the Altai Mountain System and from the east by the Kuznetsk Alatau and Western Sayan ridges create their own climate regime. The average temperature in January is -22 ...- 2 degrees Celsius, in July - +17 ... + 18 degrees.
Local water bodies
The structure of the national park has a dual character due to the fact that its territory is divided by a whole network of rivers and streams. The main waterway of the park is the river Mras-Su, which flows through the main massif of the park zone from north to south and divides its territory into approximately two equal parts. The water regime of the area can be called typical of mountain rivers. The main sources of food for rivers and streams are rains and groundwater.
Vegetable world
In the vegetation cover of the park, black taiga prevails. Forests are represented by mountain types of communities. Communities with Siberian pine and Siberian fir prevail. Spruce, pine, fluffy birch, aspen are less common. In the forest cover of the mid-mountain part of Shoria, the unique and amazing flora of the mountains of Southern Siberia is preserved. Its botanical sights are such rare species of plants as Siberian kandyk, large-flowered venus slipper, real venus slipper, pink rhodiola.
Currently, Shor National Park (Kemerovo region) has such an important wealth as unique and endangered plant species. In the park you can find over 20 varieties.
Entertainment, hiking trails and leisure
Mountain Shoria in the summer offers a wide range of entertainment - rafting on mountain rivers, hiking and horseback riding and walking, climbing mountain peaks and descending into mysterious caves. In addition, the mid-mountainous relief and the air of coniferous forests filled with volcanoes favorably affect the human body, increasing its immune functions. The hiking routes of Mountain Shoria do not require any special preparation and are available to everyone. During this trip, you can take unique photos or make interesting video material.
Near the Shor National Park there are such recreationally valuable objects as a skiing center - Mount Mustag, the “pearl” of Mountain Shoria - Mount Kul-Taiga with a mountain lake at its peak, open-air ethnographic museum “Tazgol”, Mras river valley -Su and waterfalls.
The most promising type of tourism in Mountain Shoria today is considered equestrian in combination with environmental and sports routes (climbing mountains, descending into intriguing cave cavities). Nowadays, two waterways are realized along the river Mras-su.
Excursions
The opportunity to go on a water excursion with a length of 110 kilometers, during which amazing natural landscapes of Siberian forests open, attracts many travelers to this park. The route goes from the river from Mras-Su to Ust-Kabyrzy. There is another 70-kilometer water trip along the Ust-Kabyrze River, which is no less exciting. Well, a combined excursion from Sosnovka to Tashtagol with a length of 40 kilometers will take very little time, but there will be a lot of impressions.
Natural beauty
The nature of the Shorsky park is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. This is a great place for professional and novice photographers, photographs depicting local nature will turn out to be just beautiful and picturesque.
The waterfalls in this area are so beautiful and alluring that it is simply impossible to look away. No less interesting is the local ethnographic museum complex Tazgol, which is located in the open. Open-air museums are a great opportunity to plunge into the presented world with your head and feel like part of the story.
No less beautiful is the valley of the Mras-Su River, about which a lot of interesting information has already been told.
To visit this unique natural park means to see a lot of interesting things and feel like a part of this pristine world.
There are several ways to get to this area. Most preferred - on your own car or by bus.
Animal world
Theriofauna of the national park is a home for many species of game and hunting animals, including otter, fox, moose, wolf, white hare, American mink, sable, squirrel, wolverine, and columns. In addition to the animals mentioned above, in the park you can find chipmunk, Siberian mole, water vole, common hamster, weasel, ermine, badger, brown bear, red deer, muskrat, musk deer, roe deer, wild reindeer. More than 100 species of birds live in the avifauna, and the golden eagle, black stork, peregrine falcon, osprey, which are found among these species, are even listed on the pages of the Red Book of Russia.
The fauna of the Shor National Park is truly rich and diverse. It includes 60 species of mammals and more than 140 species of birds. There are very rare species of animals listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation and the Kemerovo Region, such as white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, osprey, gray heron, goose-goose, needle-tailed swift, river otter, and reindeer.
The rivers of the Shor National Park are rich in fish (12 species, among them grayling, lenok, taimen and others).
In the arsenal of the park are 515 species of higher vascular plants, about 3000 insects, two species of cyclostomes, 16 species of fish, four species of amphibians, five species of reptiles, 182 species of birds, 62 species of mammals.
This park can be called the real wealth of Russia, thanks to its animal and plant life, as well as unique natural attractions. Therefore, the laws of the Shor National Park are quite strict, and for their non-compliance with a person can be called to account.
Museums in the park
At a distance of 100 kilometers from Tashtagol, within the spacious valley of the mouth of the Ansas, which is the right tributary of the Mras-Su river, near the cliffs of the Aygan hill, there is an ancient Ulus of Shoria - Ust-Anzas, in the center of which the Tazgol Ecological Museum is organized. The exposition area of the museum complex is 5 hectares, which housed 4 sectors listed below: Missionary Camp and Pashtyk Estate; The estate of the carpenter Ivanov on the Kaychak slope; Walnut-mining camp, which has a reconstructed settlement from the Middle Ages with ancient blacksmiths and metallurgical foundry, coupled with the reconstruction of the grave of a Kyrgyz warrior, as well as the occult altar "taelga"; recreated gold mine with a functioning dam, flushing ditches and an exhibition in a miners' barracks.
The museum complex, like the park itself, is of great interest to tourists and is of particular importance for educational work.