Karagöl Tabiat Parkı

About Karagöl Tabiat Parkı

Karagöl Tabiat Parkı (Karagöl Nature Park) is a protected nature park around a small mountain lake on the Yamanlar massif, inside Menemen district. The park lies 850 metres above sea level and covers 18.92 hectares; it was declared a nature park in July 2011. The lake is a landslide-dammed lake formed by geological movements, and reaches a depth of about nine metres. It is ringed by forests of Turkish red pine and black pine. Visit İzmir notes that red-eared slider turtles are especially conspicuous in the lake, and that birds such as cormorant, blackbird, song thrush and common buzzard can be seen. Visit İzmir recommends Karagöl as a place for a picnic and a walk, and warns that the road up to the lake is a little winding. Barbecues and fishing are not allowed, so bring a cold picnic.