Altai Nature Reserve

The Altai Nature Reserve is a protected area in the Altai Republic, Russia, covering more than 880,000 hectares of mountains, alpine meadows, and coniferous forests along the eastern shore of Lake Teletskoye. The terrain ranges from river valleys to peaks above 10,000 feet (over 3,000 meters), showing different vegetation zones depending on elevation.

Scientists explored the region in the 1920s and urged the Soviet government to protect the area in 1932. Authorities have since expanded the boundaries several times to include more habitats for threatened species.

The name comes from the Altai Mountains, considered sacred by local communities for centuries and now drawing hikers from across the region. Visitors sometimes see shamans and their descendants performing rituals or leaving offerings at specific sites.

Access requires permission from the reserve administration, which can be requested in the town of Gorno-Altaysk. Guided tours on marked trails are available from July to September when weather is more stable and paths are passable.

More than 1,500 plant species grow here, some of which are found only in this part of Siberia. Rangers regularly count snow leopards and Siberian ibex, two of the rarest residents in the region.