Gölcük Yaylası ve Gölü

About Gölcük Yaylası ve Gölü

Gölcük is a plateau and lake in the Bozdağ mountains above Ödemiş, and one of the largest plateaus around Bozdağ. According to Visit İzmir, the plateau lies at about 1,050 metres and covers 810 decares, 18 km from the centre of Ödemiş and 6 km from the historic Birgi quarter. Gölcük Lake sits in the middle of the plateau. It is a natural dammed lake surrounded by pine forest, and the flat ground and woodland around its shore have been laid out as picnic and rest areas. The General Directorate of Forestry lists Gölcük among the official mesire (picnic and recreation) areas of İzmir province, run by the Bayındır forest enterprise. Gölcük now has the status of a neighbourhood of Ödemiş, but people from the surrounding districts and provinces still know it as a yayla, a summer upland retreat. The lake is also of interest to birdwatchers: Visit İzmir notes great reed warblers, grey herons and other reed-bed birds in the area. Gölcük can be reached by road from Ödemiş, or from Salihli in neighbouring Manisa province.