Mount Nakas

Mount Nakas is the highest point of Orenburg Oblast, standing 667.6 meters above sea level. It lies in the Tyulgansky District, 5.5 km west of the village of Almala, and forms part of the Maly Nakas ridge, a low hill-and-ridge massif between the Salmysh and Bolshoy Ik rivers. The ridge sits in the northwestern part of the district and belongs to the southern Ural mountain system. The site holds the status of a regional landscape nature monument.

Nature

The Maly Nakas ridge is a watershed: from here the Salmysh, Bolshoy Ik and Belaya rivers flow off in different directions. Geologically the mountain consists mainly of Lower Triassic conglomerates interbedded with sandstones. Its summit is flat and merges smoothly into gently sloping sides cut by stream valleys; their beds contain pebbles and large boulders up to 40 cm across, washed out of the same conglomerates.

Most of the massif is covered by forest, a reference stand of the upland forests of the southern Cis-Ural region within Orenburg Oblast. The tree stand is dominated by pedunculate oak, linden, aspen, Norway maple, elm and field elm. Shrubs are abundant too: buckthorn, alder buckthorn, dog rose, hawthorn and raspberry. The glades carry dense, varied grass cover dominated by tall monkshood, along with species rare for the region, including the martagon lily, listed in the Red Book of Russia, and the large-flowered foxglove. The glades also hold plenty of wild strawberries.

As a nature monument, the mountain plays an important environment-forming and water-protection role for the whole ecosystem of the Nakas ridge.

What to see

A memorial cross stands on the summit, consecrated by the Metropolitan of Orenburg and Saraktash. The ridge's viewpoints give views over the wooded hills of the Tyulgansky District.

Getting there

The Maly Nakas ridge is about 176 km from Orenburg. By car, the route runs through the villages of Nizhinka, Saraktash and Verkhnesanzyapovo. Hiking routes to the mountain also exist, including one starting in Orenburg and heading toward the settlement of Tashla.