We’ve only driven 20 minutes outside of the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, and it already feels like we’ve entered a different world. The soviet style apartment buildings and lush parks of Tashkent dissipate into dusty villages and farm land. We are off to spend the day in the unfamiliar of Zaamin National Park!
I first became interested in visiting Zaamin National Park after reading an article about the elusive snow leopard that exists in the park. I had no intention of finding any snow leopards but after seeing pictures of the mountains and Juniper forests in the area I knew I wanted to visit before returning home.
Even though Zaamin is the oldest nature preserve in the country, most people don’t seem to know about it. Residents in Tashkent often go to the mountains, but generally only in the Chimgan area of Uzbekistan. And I realized pretty quickly once arriving that even fewer foreigners find themselves in Zaamin. For most of my time living in Uzbekistan, I was usually the one asking people if I could take their photo. But for the first time, in Zaamin National Park, people wanted to take pictures of and with me!? Uzbekistan was finally as curious about me as I was about it.
Getting There
Zaamin National Park is in the Jizzakh province of Uzbekistan and on the northern slopes of the Turkistan Mountain Ridge which leads to Tajikistan. The easiest way to get there is by car and from Tashkent this will take around 5 hours. You can hire a car and drive this yourself. However, it will be much easier to hire a driver to take you, which can be done through your hotel in Tashkent. Your hotel can also likely help you find a guide that can take you hiking in the park.
Entrance to Zaamin National Park
Like almost everywhere in Uzbekistan, you will have to register at the park entrance. There is also a small entrance fee.
What to Do in the Park
Hike
The best thing to do in the park is definitely to hike! Once we got off the main road that leads through the park, we found ourselves surrounded by rolling hills and gnarled Juniper trees. At the head of Uryuklisai Gorge is Sharilak Waterfall which is extremely popular among Uzbeks visiting the park. If you want to get off the beaten path, there are over 150 km of trails which pass through alpine meadows, canyons and mountain passes.
Zaamin Reservoir
Before the entrance to the park is just above Zammin Reservoir, which is a huge man made lake. It’s a great spot to camp or have a picnic and swim after a morning hike in the park.
700-year-old walnut tree
Zaamin National Park boasts some incredible flora and fauna. There are over 700 plant species and 40 mammals, including the rare Snow Leopard, Turkestan Lynx, Bearded Vulture and Asiatic Black Bear. Some of the Juniper forests are over 1,000 years old and there is even an amazingly beautiful walnut tree that is over 700 years old!
Visit the futuristic Sanatorium
You won’t be able to miss this strange building standing out in stark contrast to the rest of the park! As a result of the good air from the Juniper forests, the sanatorium was built in the 70’s for lung patients. Today there is a lot of activity at the sanatorium so it’s a great spot to check out in the park. There is a local market and some basic cafes and teahouses where you can find food and drink.
Where to Stay
There are limited accommodation options in Zaamin National Park. However, you could camp or stay in one of the few guest houses in the villages around the park. We made a day trip of it from Tashkent, which was exhausting because of how long the drive was. I’d recommend staying closer to Zaamin.
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