Bakhtegan National Park

Bakhtegan National Park is located in Fars Province, about 70 kilometers west of Neyriz County, and is one of the most important protected areas in Iran. Covering more than 160,000 hectares, the park includes Lake Tashk and Lake Bakhtegan, the surrounding mountains and wide plains. The Bakhtegan area was first declared a protected area in 1347 (1968) and was upgraded to a wildlife refuge in 1354 (1975). In 1374 (1995), part of it was designated Bakhtegan National Park.

This region is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including waterbirds such as flamingos, pelicans, slender-billed gulls and spoonbills, which breed on the islands of the lakes. Mountain species such as wild sheep (mouflon and urial), wild goat and ibex, the Persian leopard and the wildcat can also be seen in the park's highlands. In Khordad 1396 (May–June 2017), a camera trap installed at one of the park's permanent springs captured rare images of a Persian leopard at an altitude of 2,600 meters. The park's vegetation is also highly diverse and includes drought-resistant plants such as wormwood (Artemisia), Seidlitzia (ghich), wild almond, saxaul (taghi), milkvetch (astragalus) and other species.

To reach Bakhtegan National Park, you can take the roads leading to Neyriz County. The best time to visit is spring and autumn, when the weather is pleasant and the natural scenery is beautiful. Practicing responsible nature tourism, such as keeping the environment clean and not harming the vegetation or wildlife, is essential to protecting this valuable ecosystem.