Noor Forest Park

Noor Forest Park is one of the largest and most notable forest parks in Mazandaran Province. It lies in Noor County along the Noor-to-Mahmudabad road, and offers unique natural scenery where forest, mountains and the Caspian Sea meet. With an area of about 3,600 hectares, it is among the largest forest parks in the Middle East, and thanks to its size and the variety of its landscapes it is a popular destination for nature lovers and travellers in northern Iran. The park, once also known as "Rostam-Rud", was designed and built in the early 1970s (early 1350s in the Solar Hijri calendar) through the efforts of Hossein Saeedi Ashtiani, the founder of Iran's forest parks, and is now one of the most important protected green spaces in the region.

The park contains a wide variety of trees from the Hyrcanian and lowland forests of northern Iran, including maple, alder, hornbeam, Persian ironwood (Anjili) and other species. Visitors have access to forest footpaths, picnic gazebos, a restaurant, a mosque, sports fields and a children's playground. The combination of forest and the nearby Caspian Sea makes for a special nature-tourism experience. Cycling, horse riding, ATV riding, birdwatching and nature photography are also very common and popular here, so visitors can spend a whole day in the heart of the forest enjoying a range of activities.

To visit Noor Forest Park, head east from the centre of Noor County along the Noor-to-Mahmudabad road, and you will reach the park entrance in about 5 to 10 minutes. The western entrance branches off the main road, and the park is easy to reach by car or public transport. Spring and summer are the best times to visit thanks to the pleasant weather, green shade and closeness to the sea, although autumn, with its yellow and orange colours, also offers a memorable experience. Practising responsible nature tourism, such as keeping the park clean, respecting biodiversity and staying on designated trails, helps protect this valuable ecosystem so that future visitors can enjoy it too.