Nalychevo Nature Park, Russia

 

Created in 1995, the Nalychevo Nature park is located in the picturesque valley of the Nalycheva River. The area of ​​the park is about 300 thousand hectares. The park contains unique natural objects, flora and fauna of the Kamchatka Territory. The park is included in the list of cultural and natural heritage of UNESCO. The tundra and mountain landscapes of the park, natural complexes are amazing and picturesque. And due to the fact that the valley is surrounded by mountain ranges, a mild, special microclimate has developed in it. The park is rich in animals and plants, many of which are listed in the Red Book.

The park is attractive for its healing hot and cold mineral springs, the most visited are thermal Zheltorechensky, Regional Studies, Goryacherechensky, Talovsky springs and cold springs - Chistinsky, Koryaksky and Aagsky narzans.

There is an Itelmen legend - if a person enters the hot water of the Nalychevo spring with the first rays of the sun, he will gain eternal youth, beauty and health. This is just a legend, a fairy tale, but, "A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it."

 

Studies carried out by scientists of the Tomsk Research Institute of Balneology and Physiotherapy have proved that the unique properties of water, the concentration of biologically active components, make it truly curative in the treatment and prevention of many gynecological, skin diseases, liver diseases, cardiovascular, central nervous, musculoskeletal, urogenital systems, with metabolic disorders.

The geographical southern borders of the park, close location to the green zone of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Elizovo airport make it convenient for tourists.

On the territory of the park there is a base from which tourists make excursions to the sources and attractions of the valley. To services of tourists - hiking, skiing, horseback riding, as well as a helicopter excursion. The main resting place is the Central Cordon of the park, where houses are built for tourists, there is a shop, an observation tower, a helipad and a covered fire pit. The Museum named after the famous explorer of Kamchatka V.I.Semenov presents an exposition that introduces tourists not only to the flora and fauna of the park, volcanoes and springs, but also to the life and work of Semyonov himself.

 

History of the park

Nalychevo Nature Park in Kamchatka was founded in 1995.

The first sources in Nalychevo were described at the beginning of the 20th century by the Kamchatka local historian Prokopy Novograblenov. Initially, a small base appeared in the valley, where researchers and geologists stopped. Tired of crossing and exploring the area, they could recuperate in the healing waters and spend the night in the houses.

In the early 70s, visiting the Natural Park became very popular among tourists, and as a result, a tourist route through the valley was formed.

Due to the influx of visitors, the anthropogenic impact on nature has increased. But in 1996, thanks to the activities of public organizations, the territory of the Nalychevo Valley received the status of a specially protected area and was included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

The famous traveler V.I. became the first director of the Nalychevo Natural Park in 2005. Menshikov, who takes an active part in its creation.

 

Source legend

According to the legend of the indigenous inhabitants of the Kamchatka Territory, a person who enters the waters of the hot springs of the valley with the first rays of the sun will find eternal youth, and with it beauty and health!

 

Location

The Nalychevo Nature Park in the Kamchatka Territory is located 25 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the Nalycheva River basin, near the Levaya Ostrovnaya River. The park includes volcanoes: Avachinsky, Koryaksky, Dzenzur, Kozelsky, Zhupanovsky and mountains Kekhkuy, Vershinskaya and Kupol.

 

Climate in Nalychevo

Winter is notable for its severity, and summer is the warmest, thanks to volcanoes that close the valley from strong winds.

The snow cover begins to fall from October and by the winter period reaches 2 meters.

The melting of snow and the denudation of vegetation occurs already by June, when summer begins here.

We go on foot to the Nalychevo valley
The road to the Nalychevo park
The territory of the park is surrounded by 10 volcanoes, forming a natural bowl with a unique climate. One of the highest are Koryaksky volcano with a height of 3456 meters and Zhupanovsky with a height of 2923 meters.

The active volcanoes located on the territory of the park are the center of a sufficiently powerful glaciation.

The relief of the natural park is very complex. The volcanic formations present are part of mountain ranges and ranges, and the natural contrast ranges from birch forests to cinder fields and meadows.

All modern hiking routes to the valley begin by crossing the Avachinsky Volcano Pass. In addition to the classic trekking routes with a length of more than 50 km, it is possible to get to Nalychevo in a more exotic way - on horseback or by helicopter, as well as skiing in winter.

Tourists and just vacationers are offered options for routes of different levels of training from one to three days. The difficulty of the trails is described.

 

Vegetable world

The flora of the Nalychevo Natural Park is rich and diverse. The uniqueness of the flora is especially appreciated by the inhabitants of the Japanese islands. Many plants growing on its territory are listed in the Red Book of Russia. Here you can find a pink radiola, a Yatabe slipper, a Daurian lily, a leafless chin, and so on.

The abundance of berries and mushrooms causes real joy among the guests. On the territory of the valley you can find blueberries, honeysuckle, crowberry.

 

Animal world

The fauna in Nalychevo in Kamchatka is an abundance of animals and birds: 33 species of mammals, 145 species of birds, 22 species of fish, of which only 5 species are Pacific salmon! On the territory of the valley you can meet wild reindeer, bighorn sheep, sea eagle, wolverine, lynx, Pacific black goose, golden eagle, Aleutian tern, as well as the owner of the Kamchatka Territory - the brown bear. The concentration of bears is observed in the upper reaches of the Nalychevo River during the period of fish spawning, as well as the maturation of berry plants. Meeting a brown bear when visiting the valley is almost inevitable, but with a competent human behavior, the bear does not show aggression and is peacefully reinforced aside.

! The 70s of the XX century in Kamchatka were far from tourism. The brown bear population in the Nalychevo valley numbered about 100 individuals. Due to the growth in the attendance of the valley, their number has decreased to a few dozen. The decline in the population of reindeer and bighorn sheep has also been observed since the beginning of the 20th century. The latter, in turn, live near the rocks of Cape Nalychev. In this connection, all of the listed species of animals are currently listed in the Red Book.

 

Interest for tourists

The main goal of the guests of the park is to visit the Central cordon. It is here that a group of three hot mineral springs, located along the banks of the Hot River, has been ennobled, and locker rooms have also been built. The composition of the water in the baths has exceptional healing properties. The concentration of mineral salts has a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems of a person.

One of the main attractions is the travertine cauldron. Boiling water is poured out at the site of a former geological well. The water in it is so rich in minerals and salts that their concentration adversely affects the surrounding plants. In this regard, park workers laid an artificial stream through which water from the boiler flows to bathing places and further to the Goryachaya River. The banks of this stream are carefully maintained so that the water does not spread over the surroundings.

In the neighborhood, a two-story house was erected, in which the “Center for Environmental Education named after Vladimir Ivanovich Semenov”, an honored researcher of Kamchatka, is located. In this building, you can look into the museum, which will tell you about the flora and fauna of the park, as well as about the life and work of researchers who studied the surroundings.

For tourists, wooden houses are arranged in the center of Nalychevo, where you can put yourself in order after crossings. There is a small shop, an observation tower, a helicopter landing site, as well as special areas where you can put up tents and sit by the fire.

Winter attracts more extreme types of recreation and tourism, such as skiing, snowmobiling and dog sledding and snowboarding. From nearby volcanoes, descents are made, reaching several kilometers.

Skiing season varies from April to May.

The park also has viewing platforms where you can view active volcanoes.

 

Volunteer

Every summer there are always volunteers who are ready to assist in the arrangement of the park. Volunteers carried out such work as marking hiking trails, restoring houses and baths, repairing and laying wooden platforms across rivers and streams. A lot of work! Park employees are always grateful to caring people with skillful hands and kind hearts. Food and accommodation for volunteers is free.

Helpful information
Written permission is required to visit the park.
Communication via radio station or satellite phone. Cell phone is missing.
Electricity only in the evening.
All garbage is disposed of or incinerated. If recycling is not possible, the garbage is collected in a bag and given to the park employee - inspector.
Pets (dogs) must be kept muzzled and on leashes.