Zyuratkul National Park (Chelyabinsk Region) is a unique wildlife sanctuary. Here you can relax, go hiking in the mountains, go fishing and hunting. But at the same time, there is also a zone in this park in which the regime of the reserve is adhered to, that is, the natural landscapes of the Southern Urals are preserved intact there. Virgin forests where bears and moose are found, mountain rivers and streams with trout, alpine meadows and mountain tundra - all this can be seen on a rather vast territory, which is located around Lake Zyuratkul. How to get there, where to relax and in what places you can go fishing and hunting - read about all this in this article.
Sinegorye
From afar, fir forests covering the mountain slopes of the ridges of the Southern Urals seem blue, as if covered with a bluish haze. Rapid rivers flow down from the ranges where the quartzitic remnants have formed bizarre rock forms. In the heart of this land, lovingly called by the people Sinegorye, like a child in a cradle, lies Lake Zyuratkul surrounded by ridges. His name comes from the Bashkir phrase "Yurak - Kul." Translated, this means "heart-lake." And indeed, the name is very successful. The lake is the living heart of this mountainous region. The Nurgush, Urenga, Lukash, Moskal and Zyuratkul ranges surround and protect it from northern winds. The national park, the sights of which we will describe today, was created in 1993. Its area is almost 90 thousand hectares. The park stretches from north to south for fifty kilometers, and from east to west for thirty kilometers.
Zone allocation
Some tourists are interested in: if Zyuratkul is a national park, is it possible for ordinary mortals to rest in it or not? That is, are people allowed to splash around in the lake, or is such a pleasure accessible only to fish? And whether the forester will fine the tourist for picking mushrooms and berries? What about fishing and hunting? I must say that the territory of the park is divided into three zones of functional purpose. The first is truly reserved. It is located in a mountain basin between the ranges of Nurgush and Urenga. Here even dried trees are not cut. The virgin forest should look as if there were no man on the planet. Only in winter amateur fishing is allowed. To enter this conservation area, you must book a tour at the National Park Directorate, which can be found in the town of Satka. This unforgettable journey takes place without fail accompanied by a forester. An excursion to the conservation area should be agreed in advance. For this (however, not only for this) the Zyuratkul National Park has an official website. If your goal is only a recreation area, then ahead of time you do not need to warn the park administration about your arrival. Just buy a ticket at the checkpoint and register. There are places allotted for recreation (including tent sites) on the banks of Lake Zyuratkul, the rivers Bolshaya and Malaya Kalagaz. Accommodation at tourist centers, in forest cottages or in the private sector of several villages is possible.
Zyuratkul National Park: how to get there
How to get to your destination? The national park is located in the Chelyabinsk region, but it can also be reached from Ufa. Regular buses run from both cities to the ancient mining center of Satka. There, as we remember, is the administration of the park. Lake Zyuratkul lies 32 kilometers from Satka. This distance can be covered by local bus or minibus. The South Ural Railway provides an opportunity to get only to the nearest stations Berdyaush or Sulei. Of these two points, shuttle buses run to Satka. And there you need to take a bus to come to "Zyuratkul" - a national park. How to get to the place by your own car? The turn to the village of Magnitka is located 177 km from Chelyabinsk and 223 km from Ufa, on the highway connecting these two regional centers. Turning off the motorway onto a side road, drive another twenty-three kilometers to the national park checkpoint. They will tell you where you can park the car.
Climate
Ural itself is a unique place. Europe and Asia converge here. Zyuratkul National Park in the Southern Urals lies immediately in two natural zones - forest-steppe and taiga. In addition, there is clearly visible altitudinal zonation, although the mountains, by accepted standards, are low. The highest point of the park (and at the same time throughout the Chelyabinsk region) - the Nurgush Range - is only 1406 meters above sea level. But, nevertheless, its peaks are covered by a mountain tundra. Alpine meadows are less common . And the foot of the ridges are under the canopy of a dense forest. The climate here is continental, with frosty winters and warm summers. Off-season does not last long. Rainfall is plentiful - the fact that the park is located on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains affects. Snowfall can begin even in May and June. A stable winter comes here at the end of October and lingers for a long time. The lake is freed from ice only in late April or early May.
Blue Pearl of Sinegorya
National Natural Park "Zyuratkul" got its name from the lake of the same name. This is the biggest attraction of the region. The lake is unique in that it lies at a considerable height - more than seven hundred meters above the level of the World Ocean. In addition, this reservoir is the only one on the western slopes of the Urals. The lake was formed as a result of a natural dam by leaching of soft rocks. Until the end of the XIX century, it was a small reservoir, the area of which did not exceed six square kilometers. And the depth was not impressive: on average 1.2 meters, and the maximum - 1.7. But since not only valuable stone was mined in this region, but the forest was also rafted, in 1898 a dam was built. At the end of World War II, they began to build a hydroelectric station, which caused great damage to the environment. As a result of the artificial increase in the area of the lake, many hectares of valuable forest turned out to be under water, which is now rotting. But the lake looks beautiful. Its area has doubled, and the maximum depth is now 12 meters. 29 mountain rivers and streams flow into the reservoir. Thanks to them, water from the lake can be drunk. Surrounded by mountain ranges and the green frame of the taiga, it seems like a sparkling pearl.
National Park Attractions
At the checkpoint and site, you can get comprehensive and up-to-date information about excursions and multi-day trips planned in the near future. Sights of Sinegorye are so numerous that one listing of them will turn into a long list. We will name the most popular of them among tourists. What is so memorable for vacationers "Zyuratkul" national park? The reviews mention the rocky outlier "Scallop", which is on the banks of the Berezyak River in Vinogradovy Khutor. There was once a pagan temple of the ancient Bashkirs, back in pre-Islamic times. Tourists love to conquer the highest peak of the Chelyabinsk region, the Nurgush Range, where the tundra plateau extends. In the upper reaches of Malaya Satka there is a unique onion glade. On the shores of Lake Zyuratkul, archaeologists have discovered about 12 sites of primitive people. The study of artifacts helps to study the lifestyle of ancient tribes from the Late Paleolithic to the Neolithic and the Iron Age.
Natural attractions
Zyuratkul National Park has become a kind of sanctuary for many endangered species of animals and plants. 70 species are listed in the national Red Book. Of the flora, it is an endemic of Ural anemone, as well as a large-slipper, male orchis, pulmonary lobaria and leafless chin. The fauna of the park includes 214 species. There are also predators - bears, wolves, foxes, ermines, martens. Especially many clubfoots are found on the slopes of the protected ranges Nurgush and Urenga. Wandering among the taiga and giant moose. Under the protection of the state are golden eagle, European mink, eagle owl, peregrine falcon, grayling fish. Of natural objects, one cannot ignore the ancient paleovolcano. More than seventy valuable minerals are found in its vent that has gone out a long time ago.
Rest and accommodation
Zyuratkul National Park is a great place to spend a vacation or a weekend with the whole family. On the shores of the lake and numerous rivers, special zones have been created where camping is allowed. On the way to the peaks there are mountain shelters where you can spend the night or wait out the bad weather. Those tourists who want more amenities are accommodated in recreation centers in the lakeside villages of Tyulyuk, Sibirka and Zyuratkul. You can also rent forest houses (the so-called winter huts) from the administration of the park. In the village of Zyuratkul, a mini zoo operates on the basis of the tourist complex. True, some animals (Himalayan bear, camel and others) are not endemic. Although the children do not care much, they are happy to feed both “relatives” and “visiting” animals.
Ural "Disneyland", or "Whale Pier"
Until recently, the Zyuratkul National Park was decorated with another tourist attraction, which attracts vacationers with children like a magnet. This is the Whale Pier. It was built in 2003 by a businessman from the city of Satka, Yuri Kitov, on his own money with his own money. It is noteworthy that the entrance to the "Zyuratkul" is paid, but the "Quay" was absolutely free. The amusement park has long attracted both adults and children. This place became so popular that it began to be nicknamed "Ural Disneyland." But the Park Directorate declared a real judicial war to Kitov. The entrepreneur was literally bombarded with lawsuits. Despite public protests, the court decided to dismantle Whale Pier. Buildings were demolished in the fall of 2012. Now the director of the park, Alexander Bryukhanov, has also instituted proceedings to liquidate the housing of some ordinary residents of the village of Zyuratkul, whose houses are located on two streets that supposedly "crawl" into the territory of the national reserve.
Hunting and fishing
About 20 species of fish are found in the lake and rivers of the park. Among them, the Ural trout - grayling is of most interest. You can also catch a thunderstorm of rivers - pike, burbot, bream, perch, ruff, roach, etc. The Zyuratkul National Park created all conditions for amateur fishing. You can hire an experienced instructor who knows the "bread" places and habits of the local inhabitants, rent equipment and gear. There is also trout farming on the territory. Grayling is abundant in the oxygenated water of the mountain rivers Yuryuzan, Kalagaz and Berezyak. Amateur hunting is allowed only in the season allotted for this and only for upland fowl. In the village of Magnitsky there is a deer farm “Bear Joy”.
Tourist routes
The administration of the national park pays much attention to the development of outdoor activities. At the foot of the Zyuratkul ridge, a convenient “ecological path” has been laid, which even untrained tourists can overcome. And those who are not afraid of long trips, they can sign up for interesting one- and many-day excursions. Thirteen routes have been developed, both hiking, cycling, and even skiing. During the flood period, alloys along mountain rivers are also carried out. Of the one-day summer trips, excursions to the Zyuratkul pillars, to the Lukash, Nurgush and Moskal ranges, along the shores of the lake are very popular. It is interesting to ski to go to the artesian spring Fountain and to the ridge Sukan.