Altyn-Emel National Park

Altyn-Emel National Park is a protected natural area in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan notable for distinctive desert and mountain landscapes. It is especially known for its geomorphological features, including the well-known “Singing Dune.”

The park’s headline attraction is the Singing Dune, a sand ridge roughly 150 metres high and stretching for several kilometres that can emit a loud humming or booming sound when the sand shifts. Visitors also come to see the multicoloured badlands and eroded cliffs of the Aktau and Katutau ranges and to inspect Bronze Age burial mounds found within the area.

The protected area conserves steppe, semi-desert and mountainous habitats and has been used for both scientific study and nature tourism. Over time the territory has been managed to protect its geological features and archaeological sites while allowing regulated visitor access.

The park sits in southeastern Kazakhstan within the foothills east of the Kazakh steppe and north of the Ili River valley, in Almaty Region. Access is by surfaced and unpaved roads from regional towns; services near the park are limited.

• Best viewing times: Good views of the Singing Dune are available from the dune crest; early morning and late afternoon give stronger winds and clearer light for photos.
• Practicalities: Access into the park is by road from towns in the Almaty Region; wide-open terrain means summer temperatures can be high and services are sparse, so plan for water and fuel.

What to See #

• Singing Dune: A dune system known as the **Singing Dune**, a long sand ridge that can produce a loud booming sound when the sand shifts and reaches roughly 150 metres in height and several kilometres in length.
• Aktau and Katutau ranges: The multicoloured badlands and eroded ridges of the **Aktau** and **Katutau** ranges, noted for their banded sedimentary layers and unusual rock shapes.
• Besshatyr burial mounds: Bronze Age barrow sites often grouped under the name **Besshatyr**, archaeological burial mounds found within the park's boundaries.