Burabay National Park, National park in Akmola Region, Kazakhstan
Burabay National Park is a protected area of republican significance in Akmola Region, covering 83,510 hectares (206,000 acres). Within this area are 47,400 hectares (117,000 acres) of forest and 8,493 hectares (21,000 acres) of surface water spread across five main lakes: Burabay, Shortandy, Big Shabakty, Small Shabakty, and Kotyrkol.
The area received its official designation as a national park in August 2000 through a government decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This decision secured protection for coniferous and mixed forests that have survived since the Pleistocene period in the northern steppe zone.
The granite formations Okzhetpes and Zhumbaktas are among the most visited spots in the park, linked to stories and legends passed down in Kazakh folklore. Visitors can walk up to these formations and experience the meaning they carry in local tradition.
Hiking trails run through pine forests and link the main lakes, allowing routes of several hours in different directions. The paths are easiest to walk during summer and autumn, while winter opens opportunities for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
The coniferous and mixed forests inside the park survived the Ice Age and are among the few remaining woodland pockets of this kind in the northern steppe regions. Botanists value these sites as living archives of plant life that have endured for thousands of years.
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