Vitim Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Irkutsk region, Russia

Vitim Nature Reserve covers 585,838 hectares on the border of the Patom and Stanovoy highlands, 240 km upstream from Bodaybo along the Vitim River. Its western boundary is the Vitim itself; the Sygykta, Kultushnaya and Amalyk rivers also cross the territory. The Kodar range within the reserve rises to Pik BAM at 3,072 m, and Lake Oron is the largest of its many lakes.

The reserve was created by a decree of the government of the Russian SFSR on 20 May 1982. It lies in the Bodaybinsky district of Irkutsk oblast, 240 km upstream from Bodaybo on the Vitim, and borders Kodar National Park on the east. Its headquarters are in Bodaybo.

Lake Oron, the reserve's largest lake, is fed by the Sygykta and Kultushnaya rivers and holds cultural and scientific value. The reserve's name comes from the Vitim River, which forms its western boundary. The Evenki, a Tungusic people of the region, have long used these lands for reindeer herding and hunting.

Access to this remote reserve requires advance planning and special permits from local authorities. Visitors should prepare for extreme weather and bring proper gear for mountain and forest travel.

The highest part of the Kodar range inside the reserve carries 31 glaciers covering about 15 km² in total. They sit above the treeline, beyond the larch taiga that stops around 1,200 m and the dwarf pine and shrub birch zone up to 1,500 m. The reserve's northern edge borders Kodar National Park.