Zaybaykalsky National Park (Russian: Забайкальский национальный парк), also known as Trans-Baikal in English, includes the middle part of the eastern side of Lake Baikal, the western side of the Barguzin Mountains to the east, the Ushkany Islands, and the only large peninsula on the lake, Svyatoy Nos ("Holy Nose"). The park covers an area of 2,690 square kilometers (1,040 square miles). Of this, 38.8 square kilometers are protected water areas of Lake Baikal itself.

Topography

Zaybaykalsky is located on the west by the shores of Lake Baikal, on the north by the Barguzin Nature Reserve (a protected area called a "zapovednik" that is about the same size as Zaybaykalsky), and on the south and east by the Barguzin mountain range. The highest point in the park is Mt. Barmashovoe, which reaches 2,376 meters (7,795 feet) above sea level.

The park is mostly steep. Fifty-five percent of the park is on slopes steeper than 26 degrees, and an additional 28 percent has slopes between 16 and 25 degrees.

The Svyatoy Noy peninsula is 53 kilometers long and 35 kilometers wide. It has its own mountain range, with the highest peak reaching 1,877 meters above sea level and 1,422 meters above Lake Baikal. The area is covered with forests of birch, larch, pine, and rhododendron. It has many mountain streams and springs and is connected to the mainland by the Chivyrkuisky isthmus. The peninsula is known for its views of Lake Baikal, which allow visitors to see mountain ranges across the lake from a high central viewpoint. It is also famous for Marokov beach, called "singing sand" because of the sound made when people walk on it.

The Ushkany Islands, located in the middle of Lake Baikal but part of Zaybaykalsky park, are the above-water portion of the submerged Academician Ridge, which divides Lake Baikal into northern and southern basins. On the western shore of the lake, the Academician Ridge reappears above water as Olkhon Island, which is part of Pribaykalsky National Park. The Ushkany Islands form an archipelago of four islands covering 10 square kilometers. They are known as the main home of the Baikal seal. The islands are made of marble and limestone and have caves with evidence of human habitation from the Neolithic age.

Ecoregion and climate

Zaybaykalsky is located in the East Siberian taiga ecoregion (WWF ID #601). This region lies between the Yenisei and Lena Rivers. Its northern edge reaches the Arctic Circle, and its southern edge reaches 52°N latitude. The main type of plant life is light coniferous taiga, with a type of larch tree called Larix gmelini forming the tree cover in areas with little snow. This region has many valuable minerals.

The climate at Zaybaykalsky is subarctic, with dry winters (Köppen climate classification Dwc). This climate has long, very cold winters and cool summers, but winters have little snow. The lake helps make temperatures less extreme—average January temperatures are –18 °C, and average July temperatures are 23 °C. Temperatures in mountain areas may be slightly colder. Annual rainfall averages 450 mm near the lake and 550 mm in the mountains. The main winds come from the south and southwest.

Flora

The steep changes in elevation from the lakeshore to the mountain peaks cause the forests of Trans-Baikal to show clear changes in tree types based on elevation. These forests are mostly made up of conifer trees from the Eastern Siberian taiga: 34% of the trees are pine (Pinus sylvestris), 30% are Siberian dwarf pine (Pinus pumila), 14% are Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica), and 9% are larch (Larix gmelii). About 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of these forests are old growth stands.

Fauna

The park's forest animals are common in the southern Siberian forest. These include bears, wolves, foxes, lynxes, sables, otters, wolverines, moose, musk deer, squirrels, chipmunks, muskrats, and hares. In the alpine meadows, a mammal found there is the black-capped marmot. 249 different bird species have been recorded in the area. The great cormorant, which was once extinct in the region, has returned. During the summer, up to 3,000 Baikal seals gather on the rocks of the Ushinsky islands. In addition, Bolshoy Ushinsky Island is known for having the largest number of large ant hills in Russia. These ant hills can grow up to 1.5 meters tall.

Tourism

Tourism is supported, but some very protected areas, like the Ushinsky Islands, need special permission and careful rules. A day pass can be bought at the entrance to visit the many hiking and recreational spots in the park. In winter, people can ice fish and go cross-country skiing on the frozen shoreline. There are guest cabins within the park, and the park has a floating hostel that focuses on eco-tourism.