Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park (Говь Гурвансайхан байгалийн цогцолборт газар)

The Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park (Говь Гурвансайхан байгалийн цогцолборт газар) in the Gobi Desert. It is one of the few National Parks in Mongolia where there is a lot to see and where facilities are reasonably good. The park was established in 1993 and covers 27,000 km², making it the largest national park in Mongolia.

Its name is derived from the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains, which translates to the Three Beauties. The name refers to the mountains' three subranges: the East, Middle and West Beauty.

Although most of the Gobi Desert consists of grass, shrubs and rocks, in the park you can also see scenic mountains, rock formations and extraordinary sand dunes, including the Khongoryn Els (the Singing Sands). There are also dinosaur fossils and there is a valley that has ice almost all year round. There is little vegetation in the area and it supports mainly argali sheep, black-tailed gazelle, ibex and endangered species of wild camel. The snow leopard feed on these animals. There are also more than 200 bird species in the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, including cinereous vulture, desert warbler, Houbara bustard and the Mongolian desert finch.

The gate of the park is in the Yolyn Am valley, where you will have to pay a small fee. There is also a small museum with a collection of stuffed animals.

Rain falls in the area only once every 2 to 3 years and temperatures easily reach more than 40°C (105°F) during the summer, while in winter they can drop to below -40°C (-40°F). In spring the area is plagued by fierce storms of dust and sand.

The Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park is in the south of Mongolia, on the northern fringe of the Gobi Desert, some 700 km southwest of Ulaanbaatar. Accommodation is available in the form of ger camps. There are good roads in the park. You can get there by rented jeep from Dalanzadgad, which has bus and air connections with Ulaanbaatar.