Oleshky Sands National Nature Park, National nature park near Kherson, Ukraine.
Oleshky Sands National Nature Park is a protected reserve near Kherson featuring two distinct zones: sandy dunes in the Radensk area and pine forests with meadows in the Burkut area. The landscape combines desert-like terrain with woodland in ways rarely seen in the region.
Sand formations in the area took shape during the last Ice Age when water streams carried deposits from the Polissia region toward the Black Sea. This geological process created the terrain visitors see today.
The nomadic Nogai Hordes, specifically the Djambuilut Horde, inhabited this territory before the Russian annexation of the Crimean Khanate.
Visitors need official permission from park administration to enter due to the location near military facilities. Access is typically arranged through the village of Radensk.
Summer temperatures in the sandy areas climb to about 70 degrees Celsius (158 Fahrenheit), creating harsh conditions that more than 900 animal species and over 600 plant species have adapted to survive. This extreme heat supports an ecosystem found nowhere else in Ukraine.
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