The largest state on the planet - Russia, has on its territory about 50 active national parks. Most of them are located in the European territory of the country. One of the rich natural places of our state is the national park "Mariy Chodra", the sights of which will be discussed in the article.
General information about the park
The National Park "Mariy Chodra" is located on the territories of Morkinsky, Zvenigovsky and Volzhsky districts in the Republic of Mari El, which is a subject of the Russian Federation. The area of the park is 366 square kilometers. It was created in 1985 in order to protect rare species of plants from extinction, of which there are more than 100 here. Photos of the Mari Chodra National Park can be seen in the article.
There are about 15 tourist routes in the park. The main attractions of the national park "MariyChodra" are lakes, for example, Yalchik, Glukhoe, Kichier, as well as the Ilet and Yushut rivers. One of the places frequently visited by tourists is Pugachev's Oak. Tourism in the park plays an important economic role for the republics of Mari El, Tatarstan and Chuvashia.
Controls and carries out tourism and security activities in the park, the state organization Federal State Budgetary Institution "National Park Mari Chodra". The property of this organization is a number of natural objects and complexes located in the Middle Volga region.
Lake Yalchik
Perhaps, this is one of the favorite places of tourists who come to relax on the territory of the national park "Mariy Chodra". On the shores of the lake there are several recreation centers that provide rental services for boats, bicycles and other equipment. According to tourists, there is a beautiful sandy beach with a magnificent view of the shores of the lake, and the recreation centers are quite well-groomed, there are shops. Tourists also speak positively about the food, which is varied and tasty.
Lake Yalchik is one of the largest natural reservoirs in the park. It consists of two small lakes connected by a bridge. In the summer, when the region is hot, this bridge often dries up, completely separating one lake from another. Perch, pike and other species of fish are found in the waters of Yalchik, so for lovers of fishing, a visit to one of the recreation centers on the shore of Yalchik will be a good choice.
Ilet River
This is one of the populartourist places of the national park "Mariy Chodra". The river has a length of more than 200 km, most of it is located in the park. The river itself is not wide (several tens of meters), the banks of the upper Ilet are steep, and the banks of the middle and lower reaches are gentle, sandy beaches are often found on them. Beautiful mixed forests surround the river.
The Ilet River is famous for the fact that outdoor enthusiasts come to it in order to raft along it, mainly in kayaks and catamarans. The flow of the river is calm at a speed of 3-6 km/h, so it is well suited for beginner kayakers. There are several routes for rafting along the river, their length varies from 20 to 90 km.
Pugachev's Oak
Perhaps, rest in the park "Mariy Chodra" is impossible to imagine without excursions to Maple Hill, where Pugachev's Oak grows. A feature of the oak is its size and age, so the diameter and height of the tree are 1.59 m and 26 m, respectively, and the age, according to modern estimates, is more than 400 years. A stone was placed near this giant, on which there is an inscription testifying to the events that took place in the second half of the 18th century on Maple Mountain.
According to one of the legends, Emelyan Pugachev himself climbed this oak before making a trip to Kazan. According to another legend, the leader of the uprising climbed a tree after the defeat near Kazan to watch it burn in flames. In anycase, it is reliably known that Pugachev's detachments were in the summer of 1774 in the forests near Maple Mountain.
As for Pugachev's Oak himself, he could have witnessed the uprising, but Pugachev could not climb it, because at that time the tree was still too small. It is believed that Emelyan Pugachev, if he climbed a tree, it was another oak, which was even larger than the existing one. It dried up a long time ago and was cut down in the 40s of the XX century.
Currently, excursions to Pugachev's Oak are carried out both in summer on bicycles and cars, and in winter - on skis.
