Hatila Valley National Park (Turkish: Hatila Vadisi Millî Parkı) is a protected area located in Artvin Province in northeastern Turkey. It is a narrow river valley with steep sides, found at the eastern end of the Kaçkar Mountains. The park is near the Black Sea and has a Mediterranean climate, which means summers are warm, winters are cool, and there is a lot of rain throughout the year. The valley supports many different types of plants and animals.

Park

The Hatila River is a smaller river that flows into the Çoruh River. It has created a narrow, steep valley shaped like a V, with many waterfalls. The rocks in the area are mostly volcanic and have unique landform features and geological structures that form a special landscape. The park covers an area of about 16,900 hectares (42,000 acres). The lower parts of the valley are dry and warm, while the higher areas are cooler and more humid, with snow in winter. The valley has thick vegetation, especially in the middle and lower sections. Between 1994 and 1997, a botanical survey found 769 different plant species across 87 families and 324 genera in this region.

Flora

The forests on the mountain slopes in the park include both deciduous and evergreen trees. These trees are sessile oak, sweet chestnut, oriental hornbeam, common hornbeam, black alder, oriental beech, oriental spruce, Caucasian fir, and Scots pine. On the higher slopes, common aspen, rhododendron, juniper, Vaccinium, willow, birch, and European raspberry also grow.

The Hatila Valley has a wide variety of plant life and a long growing season. Different areas bloom at different times based on their altitude. In spring, the lower parts of the valley have forest clearings filled with hellebores, magenta Cyclamen coum, blue Cappadocian navelwort, and pink Primula vulgaris subsp. sibthorpii. Higher up, and a few weeks later, Primula vulgaris blooms in large numbers, along with at least five types of snowdrop, including the recently discovered Galanthus koenenianus. Around midsummer, the hay meadows and forest glades at higher elevations are most vibrant. These areas have several types of cranesbill, including the Armenian cranesbill, globe flower, lousewort, and many kinds of terrestrial orchids. At even higher elevations, forests are replaced by scrubland with buckthorn, birch, and rhododendron, including the yellow-flowered Rhododendron luteum. Here, yellow lilies, Wittmann's paeony, and the blue and white-flowered Aquilegia olympica grow. At the highest areas, moorland and alpine pastures contain many bulbous plants, such as stars of Bethlehem, Scilla siberica, and Scilla rosenii. Among the short grasses, primulas like Primula auricula grow in damp areas, along with gentians, mountain pansies, bellflowers, and betony. In autumn, several types of crocus and colchicum also bloom.

Fauna

The natural forest of Hatila Valley National Park and the surrounding area is abundant in wildlife. Large mammals found here include grey wolf, red fox, lynx, leopard, brown bear, wild goat, chamois, roe deer, wild boar, and European hare. Many birds of prey travel through the area during their migration journeys, and golden eagle, long-legged buzzard, peregrine falcon, Caspian snowcock, Caucasian grouse, chukar partridge, and grey partridge can be seen here.

Facilities

To reach the park, you can drive 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Artvin. Visitors can stay in bungalows, caravans, or tents.