Tours in park Altyn-Emel.

“After one stage of thirty-eight miles, I reached the Altynemel picket. This picket is remarkable in that it lies at the foot of the greatly lowered Semirechensky Alatau, directly opposite the Altyn-emel mountain pass, through which the caravan road went to Gulja. The second stage of this day from Altyn-emel to Kuyankuz was another twenty-seven miles. The road went in an arc across the steppe, avoiding the continuation of the Altynemel ridge, and after sunset it led me to the Kuyankuz picket, where I stopped for the night.”

Petr Semenov Tian-Shansky.

Altyn Emel park hiking.

Altyn-Emel Natural Park is located in southwestern part of mountain spurs of Dzhungar Alatau, on right bank of Ili River and the Kapshagai reservoir, located in Kerbulak and Panfilov districts of Zhetysu region. The Altyn-Emel State National Natural Park was created on April 10, 1996 by decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to preserve the unique natural complex of the right bank of the Ili River and rare species of animals and flora of the park.
The area of the Altyn-Emel Park in 1996 was 209,553 hectares in the territories of the former: Kapchagay State Game Reserve, Almaty State Reserve, nursery for semi-free keeping of animals (kulanarium), collective agricultural enterprise "Baschi".
The purpose of creating the park is to preserve the unique ecosystems of the Ili intermountain basin and their biodiversity, protect geomorphological and paleontological objects, historical and cultural monuments in combination with eco-tourism, while strictly observing the norms of recreational capacity and load.
The park is under the jurisdiction of the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan
History of Altyn-Emel Park.
In the period from 1966 to 1983, the Almaty Nature Reserve included the Kalkany tract (semi-desert zone) on the right bank of the Ili River, with an area of 17,800 hectares with a unique natural monument “Singing Dune”. The tract was located 160 km from the central estate of the reserve in the town of Issyk. In 1983, this tract was transferred to the Kapchagay hunting farm for culinary purposes.
In 1966, the desert area “Singing Mountain” was annexed to the reserve, but in January 1983 this natural monument was transferred to the management of the Kapchagay hunting estate.
Territory of the Altyn-Emel park includes the northern part of the Kapshagai reservoir, the Ulken (Big) and Kishi (Small) Kalkan mountains, the Ak-Tau and Katu-Tau mountains, the southwestern spurs of the Dzhungar Alatau - the Altyn-Emel ridge, mountain ranges - Degeres, Matai, Orikty, Altyn-Emel, Bugul, Koyandy and Suat-Tau, intermountain valley Konyrolen.
The area of the Altyn-Emel National Park's own territory is 307,653.35 hectares. The exact area of the park's protected area has not been determined (approximately 536,500 hectares). The Pribalkhash State Nature Reserve with an area of 509,400 hectares and the Verkhnekoksusky State Nature Reserve with an area of 240,000 hectares were also transferred under the management of the Altyn-Emel National Park.
It received protected status in 1996 and has since been open to lovers of eco-tourism. In terms of territory, Altyn-Emel Park ranks 3rd among national parks in Kazakhstan (13 in total) and 1st in the Almaty region. The Altyn-Emel Natural National Park is located northeast of Almaty, 178 kilometers (as the crow flies).
Borders of Altyn-Emel Park. Northern border of the park: southwestern spurs of the Altyn-Emel ridge (Dzungarian Alatau). Western border: the foothills of Sholak, almost reaching the floodplain of the Ili River, leaving a narrow entrance to the valley.
Eastern border: the floodplain of the Kokterek River, which flows into the Ili River. Southern border: part of the coast of the Kapchshgai reservoir and part of the floodplain of the Ili River with water area. Natural physical-geographical zoning is part of the Ili semi-desert region of the Ili-Balkhash-Alakol desert depression.
Natural, archaeological and historical-cultural attractions of Altyn-Emel Park. 
In the very heart of Central Asia, one hundred and fifty kilometers from Almaty (the largest city in Kazakhstan), south of the Dzhungarskiy Alatau ridge, there is the Altyn-Emel National Park, the largest in Kazakhstan. The park has an interesting history of its formation.
Altyn-Emel National Park is the largest and most famous nature conservation area in Kazakhstan, where the famous Singing Dune and Akkum-Kalkan mountaains, the majestic Saka burial mounds Besshatyr, the Big Kurgan Besshatyr, is the burial vault of the Eastern Scythians, or Sakas-tigrahauda, ​​who lived in this territory in the seventh-sixth centuries before ad.
Thirty mounds stretch along the mountains for almost two kilometers; the menhirs of Besshatyr are interesting. Against the background of a mountain range, in the distance, black caps of mounds, petroglyphs in the Terekty gorge, the mountains of Aktau and Katutau, stone steles of Oshaktas appear.
On the territory of the park there are mountains Kysty-Kalkan, Ulken-Kalkan, Sholak, Degeres, Matai, Altyn-Emel ridge It will be interesting to visit the Ungirtas cave in the Altyn-Emel park, the Valikhanov spring to see and get acquainted with the fauna of the Altyn-Emel park, the 700-year-old willow on the Kosbastau cordon, listen. 
legends about the Singing Dune. Tourists are attracted to these places by the cleanest air, amazingly beautiful mountain landscapes and unique monuments of ancient cultures. Altyn-Emel Park occupies 523,053 hectares and is located in the Ili River valley, on the territory of the Almaty region.
It received a conservation status in 1996 and since then has been open to fans of ecological tourism. The State National Natural Park Altyn-Emel was created on April 10, 1996 by a decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to preserve the unique natural complex of the right bank of the Ili River and rare species of animals and flora of the park. 
Natural National Park "Altyn-Emel" - the total area of ​​the park is 600 sq. Km. Located in the east and 175 km. From Almaty. There are 634 species of higher plants, 231 species of birds, 26 species of fish in the Ili River. The park is inhabited by: snow leopard, stone marten, wolf, fox, steppe cat, manual, kulans, gazelles, argali.
At the beginning of 2000, the park numbered: about 7000 gazelles, 3000 teke goats, 700 kulans, 200 argali, 200 wild boars, 200 roe deer, several dozen Przewalski's horses, which were brought here from Germany. Turanga tree up to 30 meters high and up to 1 meter.
The Great Silk Road ran through this territory; more than 190 archaeological sites were found here. The climate in this area is sharply continental. Winter is characterized by low temperatures and clear weather (the number of clear days in winter is twenty-four).
The average temperature in winter is minus ten. Summers are very hot, the average temperature in July reaches twenty degrees. The wettest month is June (twenty-nine percent of the annual rainfall). On average, there are sixty-five rainy days per year. 
Altyn-Emel Park address.
Basshi village, Kerbulak district, Zhetysu region. Askarbek Street, 73 Tel: +7 (72840) 452 09 Tourism Department: +7 705 610 25 11 (Skype and WhatsApp)
Main office of Altyn-Emel park in village of Basshi is located: 250 kilometers from the city of Almaty, 90 kilometers from the regional center of the village of Saryozek, 120 kilometers from the city of Zharkent, 190 kilometers from the regional center - the city of Taldykorgan.
Geographic coordinates of Altyn-Emel Natural National Park: N43°57'03 E78°40'17

Authority:
Alexander Petrov.
https://altynemel.kz/index.php

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.