Bayanaul: rocks with faces and lakes in the steppe

Kazakhstan's first national park: wind-carved granite, three warm lakes and a village full of storytellers.

Region

North & Centre

Start from

Pavlodar

Distance

about 230 km

Time needed

2–3 days

Best season

June – September

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Bus or car from Pavlodar

Permits

National park entry fee

Why go

Bayanaul, established as a national park in 1985, is a granite massif rising above the Pavlodar steppe, with pine forest and three main lakes: Zhasybay, Sabyndykol and Toraygyr.

The granite has been weathered into strange shapes, and locals have names for all of them: a camel, a woman's profile, a bear. It's a place where children run along the rocks and grandparents tell you which legend belongs to which stone.

Lake Zhasybay is the main summer resort, with warm, clean water. The area is also linked to famous Kazakh figures, including the scientist Kanysh Satpayev, born nearby.

The story

Bayanaul became Kazakhstan's first national park in 1985. Before that, it was already a beloved place for people from Pavlodar and Ekibastuz, who came for its lakes and forest.

The area is the birthplace of several famous Kazakhs, including the geologist and academician Kanysh Satpayev and the poet and thinker Mashhur Zhusup Kopeyuly. There are museums and memorials to them in the village.

Local guides love to point out shapes in the granite. Once you start seeing animals and faces in the rocks, you can't stop.

Getting there

Buses run from Pavlodar to Bayanaul village; from there taxis go to the lakes. Driving gives you more freedom to explore.

From Astana, it's a longer drive via Ekibastuz.

A suggested plan

1. Day 1Arrive at Lake Zhasybay, swim and relax.
2. Day 2Walk to the 'Konyrauliye' cave and the rock formations around Sabyndykol.
3. Day 3Local museum in Bayanaul village, then return.

Where to stay

Resort cottages around Lake Zhasybay and guesthouses in the village.

Good to know

• The lakes warm up nicely by July.
• Bring proper shoes for scrambling on the rocks.