The sandy shore
Clear water among hills.
Felix Filnkoessl — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Felix Filnkoessl — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ludger Heide — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0
Terkhiin Tsagaan, or the «White Lake», is a broad freshwater lake in the Khangai Mountains of central Mongolia and the heart of Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan National Park. Being far from any crowds, it draws travellers looking for rest among horses, gers and clear skies, along with short trips to the nearby volcano. The lake formed about 8,000 years ago, when lava from Khorgo flooded the valley and dammed the water behind it. A folk tale tells of a young man who forgot to close a spring, so that water covered the land. The area has been protected since 1965 and became a national park in the 1990s. Ten rivers feed the lake, and only the Suman flows out. The lake is about 16 km long, covers some 61 to 74 sq km depending on the year and lies at about 2,060 m. You see sandy shores and white gers, grassy hills that turn gold in late summer, migrating birds, and horses and herds grazing by the water. The colours change quickly as big clouds pass. It is about 150 km in a straight line from Tsetserleg, and sources give about 670 km by road from Ulaanbaatar, so allow at least two nights in a camp. Nights are cold even in summer, and June to September suits it best. Take your rubbish with you, as the lake is under pressure and shrank between 1995 and 2015. The UK Foreign Office reports fuel shortages that may disrupt travel to remote areas, so check before you set off.
Clear water among hills.
A night by the lake.
A wide sky above the water.
Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan National Park, Tariat district, Arkhangai Province
Lava from Khorgo blocked the valley about 8,000 years ago, and water collected behind it.
We found no published ban, but the water is cold, so ask at your camp about suitable spots.