Krasnoyarsk Pillars National Park
Tags:Nature
Krasnoyarsk Pillars is the oldest national park in Russia, which was founded in 1925 on the initiative of local residents. Its goal is to preserve a unique picturesque corner of nature from deforestation and extraction of natural stone.
The National Park is located on the northwestern spurs of the Eastern Sayan River, covering an area of more than 47,000 hectares. This park is one of the most popular in Russia: about 1 million people visit its recreational area every year, and on weekends the most popular route of the Central Pillars can receive up to 20 thousand tourists. At the same time, only a small part of the territory is accessible to tourists — only 5% of the total area of the national park.
The main attraction of the Sayan spurs is the syenite rocks, which, like giant giants, have taken on bizarre shapes resembling people, animals and mythological creatures. The oldest rocks that can be seen in the park are about 600 million years old.
The rocks have received bizarre names for their appearance: "Granny", "Grandfather", "Granddaughter", "Gemini", "Feathers", "Elephant", "Lion Gate", "Sparrows". Some rocks were simply numbered — The First Pillar, the Second. In the park, tourists see all these names on signs and on maps.
Squirrels and chipmunks live on the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Pillars, as well as marals, roe deer, ferrets, sables, foxes, lynxes, wolves and bears. And of the birds, the saker falcon, peregrine falcon and golden eagle are rare.
The total length of the tropical zones in the national park is almost 70 kilometers.
Free entrance to the territory of the national park is provided only with an individual visit.
Other places
The Mansky Loop
The Manskaya Loop is a picturesque place in the vicinity of Krasnoyarsk on the Mana River, it is a bend of the Mana River around a rocky massif. The cliff on the mountain is the best place to contemplate the panoramic view of the bend of the river and the vast taiga. The local landscapes are familiar to connoisseurs of Soviet films — scenes of the film "Master of the Taiga" with Vladimir Vysotsky and Valery Zolotukhin were shot on the Mana River near the village of Vyezdy Log. People come here for the spectacular views of the river, to admire the sunset, take amazing pictures, have a picnic and actively spend time with family and friends. Set aside at least half a day for the trip to the Manskaya Loop, more is better. This kind of path and view is worth exhaling, relaxing, and lingering. At the top, you can meet sunrises, watch sunsets, have picnics overlooking the bizarre landscape, spend the night with a tent under the starry sky. How to get there? You need to get to the village of Mansky, which is located about 40 km from the center of Krasnoyarsk. The easiest way to do this is by car. ► by bus or train: There is no direct connection between Krasnoyarsk and the village of Mansky, so you need to get there by public transport with transfers. Take the train to Ust-Mana station. The current schedule is available on the website ticket.rzd.ru . You can get by bus from the intercity bus station of Krasnoyarsk by bus No. 146 (2 morning flights), or from the Bridge Square to No. 106 (runs every 25 minutes until 21:30) to the village of Ust-Mana. Then we transfer to bus No. 104 and drive to the village .Mansky . The journey, excluding the transfer time and waiting for the bus, will take about 2 hours. ► By car: We drive along the Divnogorskaya highway to the village of Ust-Mana and at the first exit from the highway we go to the left. From there it is about 6 km to the village of Mansky. The next landmark is the recreation center "Manskaya loop". There is a parking lot next to it, and you can also park your car along the road, but there are not many places. Then follow the road along the Mana River. The route partially passes through the small kurumnik. The length of the trail along the coast will be about 2.5 kilometers, then at the fork we go left up the mountain. If in doubt, you can follow Yandex. Maps. The climb to the top is steep. The descent will be even more difficult, count your strength. You don't need to be an athlete to get up, but you will have to rest often. The difficulty is that the path mainly passes through loose soil, which is quite difficult for an untrained tourist. Even the lightest rain erodes the steep path into a dirty and dangerous mess, and the climb becomes extremely difficult and unpleasant — take this factor into account. What should I take with me? – good hiking shoes: the success of the hike largely depends on the tread – trekking poles: they will always help, but they will especially help you keep your balance on the descent – gloves: it is convenient to cling to ropes and tree roots in them. – windbreaker and a change of T–shirt: by the time you get to the top, seven sweats will come off, and it's windy enough at the top. In 2020 and 2023, two ladders were erected on the sections up to the top, and cables and ropes were installed for a more comfortable ascent and descent. Benches have been set up on two sites where you can take a deep breath and enjoy the magnificent view of the Siberian nature. The most difficult part of the route is an almost vertical climb in the last tens of meters among trees on black soil and stones. This is where a nice bonus is located – before the decisive march, a staircase leads up. We climb comfortably, breathe, make cool shots without the risk of falling head over heels off the mountain, gain strength and climb to the very top. Voila, the long-awaited curve that you've been dreaming about for the last 3 hours is finally in front of you! At this point, you can see how the river makes a large loop about 5 kilometers long. They say that where it is located, gold miners in tsarist times blew up a rocky area to shorten the way. The resulting narrow passage with a length of 100 meters became known as the "Mansky Perekop". But do not stand in one place, there is a place to roam. We recommend walking along the ridge and taking pictures of Mana and the nearby beauty from different angles.
Karaulnenskoe highlands: forest, caves and rocks
Karaulnenskoe upland is an area located between the "Rattling Mane" and the Mininsky pillars. This is one of the most unusual suburban routes: there is a forest, caves, and a viewing platform on the Yenisei. And all this is at a short distance from Krasnoyarsk. Going there does not require any special physical training. The Golubka and Karaulny Bull rocks are the minimum list of places recommended by us to visit if you want to hike for half a day. There are also caves nearby "Karaulnaya-2" and Eleneva – it's worth a look there too! How to get there? There are two ways to get to the Karaulnensky highlands – by car and on foot. The landmark is Udachny village. The route is simple. There are no steep climbs, it's not far to go. Therefore, such a walk will take no more than four hours. The only negative is that you can meet stray dogs. ► By bus: take bus No. 12 to the final stop "Udachny village". From there, it's about 3 km to the right along the road through the forest. Then, at the fork, you need to go to the right to the gates of the SibSTU scientific base. From there, you can go up under the power line by car, or go down and walk along the bank of the Yenisei. Both trails will lead to the village of Limestones. It is necessary to pass through the village along the main road, pass the bridge over the Karaulnaya River, and another small section of the village. A path will already be visible there, which will lead to the right rocks. ► By car: from the Udachny Agricultural station, follow the main road (up from the stop to the right). You can get directly to the rocks themselves by car, but success is guaranteed only in dry weather in summer — the car can slip on steep turns and slides. Therefore, if you are not sure, it is better to leave the car, for example, at the same gates of SibSTU and continue on foot. "The Dove" The rock "Golubka" stands right by the road, you will not miss it – the only thing you will need to do is go around to see those very outlines. You can climb up – the climb is not difficult, but you should be careful on the path, because small stones are trying to slip out from under your feet. After admiring the scenery from the cliff, go down to the road. "The Bull of the Guard" After walking back a bit, you will notice a path going up in the opposite direction from the "Pigeon". From there, the ascent to the "Guard Bull" begins. It has two peaks, both of which can be climbed without special equipment. The views from there are no less fascinating than from the "Dove", but from a different angle. From the peaks there is an excellent panorama of the Yenisei, the village of Sliznevo and the village of Ovsyanka, which are located on the opposite shore. Impressions: high, scary, but incredibly beautiful! Inside the cliff, on the river side, there is an entrance to the Eleneva Cave. It is named after a Krasnoyarsk mathematician who studied local caves in pre-revolutionary times. But it's not worth going down without an instructor and equipment. It's easier to get to her by water on some kind of boat.
Torgashinsky ridge
It is not for nothing that the Torgashinsky ridge is considered one of the most popular tourist destinations in the vicinity of Krasnoyarsk. From its peaks, there is a stunning panorama of the city. The ridge is located on the southwestern outskirts of Krasnoyarsk, in the interfluve of the Yenisei and its right tributary the Bazaiha River, in close proximity to the eastern border of the Stolby National Park and is named after the village of Torgashino at its foot. It was once a Cossack village, where the mother of the famous artist Surikov, nee Torgashina, was born. The mountains start from Chernaya Sopka and extend to Stolby National Park. The most picturesque rocks of the ridge appear red and red because of lichens. There are karst caves here, the most famous of which is Torgashinskaya. The Krasnoyarsk Hiking mobile app will help you choose the most interesting route along the Torgashinsky Ridge Source: https://visitsiberia.info /
Black Hill
Chernaya Sopka is an extinct volcano, and also the highest point of the Torgashinsky ridge (688 m!), which stretches on the right bank of the capital of the region for more than 20 km. Although Karatag (the name of the hill in the Khakass language) has been considered extinct for 1.5 million years, it is still listed as active in the databases of the civil defense and emergency services! From the top of this hill, there is a great view of the capital of the region and its surroundings, as well as the endless Siberian taiga and the cliffs of the Krasnoyarsk Pillars National Park. But it's not just the view from the top that's great.… The journey here is a special kind of pleasure. Just imagine: peace and quiet, you and a picturesque forest path, and at the end a climb along a scattering of boulders – kurumnik. How to get there? ► By car: on the right bank of Krasnoyarsk, take a course to Kutuzov St., then – St. Installers, reach the turnoff to the Kuznetsovo airfield and turn right. After a few kilometers you will find yourself on the main road of the village of Kuznetsovo, after which you need to get to Lesnoy Street. Climb up it, turning right at any forks and passing the asphalt. In just five minutes you will find yourself on a gravel road going off to the right at the edge of the forest, where brand-new cottages appear. Your exit is at the wide forest path on the left, leading into the forest – this will be the beginning of the path to the Black Hill. ► By bus: route No. 118a, which follows from the east. Krasfarma (60 let Oktyabrya St.) to the village of Kuznetsovo. Then, just as in the case of the car route, you will need to get to Lesnoy Street and the entrance to the forest area. Source: https://visitsiberia.info /