Orkhon Valley

The area includes lengthy lava flows south of the Orkhon River, as well as stunning volcanic craters and gushing streams. The 24-meter-high Orkhon waterfall, located 80 kilometers west of Khujirt, is the valley’s showpiece. The fans, also known as Ulaan Tsutgalan, are located on one of the most uneven highways in a country full of them. In good weather, if you can manage the journey, this is a fun side trip. The path passes through a volcanic terrain with hot springs dotting the hillsides. After heavy rains in late summer, the waterfall is at its most magnificent. It may be entirely dry in the early summer. When the surrounding Togoo crater was still active, the black volcanic boulders that blanket the landscape erupted from the earth 20 to 30 million years ago. The waterfall is most likely the result of the eruption, as the fault line shifted and cracked the valley floor. Uurtiin Torkhoi, about eight kilometers before the falls, is an excellent site to stop and explore the river canyon. In the area, there is also a lesser waterfall (Bag Khukhree).

A funerary site in the Valley of the Camel’s Stone (Temeenii Chuluunii Am) near Bag Khukhree dates from the eighth to third centuries BC. It is near the Tsagaan Gol River and contains multiple graves as well as a deer stele on the ground. The name of the place originates from an engraving on one of the standing stones, which depicts a group of little red figures being preceded by a man leading a camel.

The Mogoit hot springs, about 10 kilometers south of the Orkhon waterfall, bubble up from the ground at temperatures ranging from 45°C to 72°C. The location is in a lovely wooded valley beneath 3000 meter-high mountains. At the hot springs site, there are three basic baths located inside small wooden cottages. Inquire with the locals about the best areas to visit depending on the ailment being treated. Unless your driver is certain that he or she is on the right trail, you will need to seek local assistance in locating the springs. The White Rock of the Khangai, a high rocky massif to the south of these springs, is home to three Siberian pines, the tallest in the forest. Other adjacent attractions include two massive caves in Bogd sum, Aguit, and Shar Kad.