Ust'-Koksinskiy District: Katun, Lakes and Culture

In Ust'-Koksinskiy District, striking mountain landscapes meet cultural destinations and specific visitor rules. The Katun Nature Reserve, the Multinskiye Lakes, and places such as Ust’-Koksa, Verkhniy Uymon and Multa offer different highlights for your trip.

Katun Nature Reserve: Plan Your Pass and Routes

A pass is required to visit the Katun Nature Reserve. It is issued at the administration’s headquarters in the village of Ust’-Koksa. Staying in, crossing or driving through the reserve is permitted only with this pass. You can visit the reserve in organized groups or independently, but you must stick to the paths and routes specified in your pass. Check the reserve’s current visitor rules before your trip.

Three routes have an additional requirement: “Starinnoi tropoi staroverov,” “Kuraganskoye koltso” and “Katunskiye vysokogorya” may be visited only with instructors and mountain guides listed in the Unified Federal Register of Instructors and Mountain Guides.

At the start of the tourist season, the reserve invites visitors to its headquarters in Ust’-Koksa. There you can visit the Ethno-Ecological Museum of Altai Culture. It displays traditional Altaian everyday objects, including clothing, dishes, musical instruments, and equipment used for hunting and livestock farming. Also at the headquarters, the interactive educational eco-trail “V gosti k lesu” introduces children and adults to forest mammals, birds, insects and forest flora.

Lakes, Mountain Ranges and Nature Trails

The Multinskiye Lakes form a cascade of large bodies of water in the western part of the Katun Range, at elevations of at least 1,700 meters. Lower Multinskoye Lake is the third-largest lake in the Katun Range and reaches a depth of 21.5 meters. The Middle and Lower Multinskiye Lakes are connected by the Shumy watercourse; this section of the route is especially popular with tourists.

The Lakes of Red Mountain, a natural monument of the Altai Republic, offer a different kind of landscape. Several lakes lie on its slopes. The largest, Lower Lake, is in the forest zone. The trail to Red Mountain passes through deciduous and taiga forests before reaching the mountain tundra. Along this route, you will encounter different natural zones. From many points in the district, you can also see the Belukha Massif, including its northern face and main peaks.

Culture, Petroglyphs and the Katun

In Verkhniy Uymon, a museum now occupies the house where Nikolai Roerich lived with his family during his five-year Central Asian expedition. If you plan to visit the house museum, check current visiting arrangements in advance. In Verkhniy Uymon and Multa, visitors can also learn about the way of life and traditions of the Uymon Old Believers. These offer different cultural perspectives: a specific place with a biographical connection and insights into the traditions of two villages.

The Turgunda petroglyph archaeological complex is located where Turgunda Creek flows into the Turgunda River. This river is a left-bank tributary of the Katun; the site is about 17 kilometers downstream from the village of Tyungur.

Rafting on the Katun ranges from calm stretches in the Uymon Valley, considered suitable for families, to challenging rapids on the Upper Katun in the Ak-kem gorge. Check current offerings and conditions with local operators in advance. The Koksinskaya Roscha, a natural monument with bird cherry and hawthorn trees, is also in the vicinity of the destination. Residents and visitors staying in Ust’-Koksa enjoy walking there.

If you are looking for a hotel for your trip, first consider which destinations will shape your stay: the reserve’s visitor rules and activities, lakes and mountain landscapes, cultural sites, or activities on the Katun. Then choose your location based on the specific places you plan to visit and the conditions that apply.

Explore more destinations: Multa, Ust'-Kanskiy District, Ongudayskiy District, Zonal'nyy Rajon, Zavyalovskiy District, Nemetskiy Natsionalnyy District, Kulundinsky District, Chemalskiy District.

Back to the regional travel guide: Altai Region.