Kaçkar Mountains National Park
Kaçkar Mountains National Park, located within the borders of Çamlıhemşin District, can be reached by a 16 km highway from the district center. The Fırtına Stream to the west and Hemşin Stream to the east have rich flora. This vegetation is characterized by karstic (easily soluble land structure) flora and both the lower flora and the upper flora contain endemic species. This is the only place in Turkey where the rhododendron reaches 3000 m. One of the rare places in Turkey where glacial traces of the Pleistocene (ice age) and current glaciation are seen together is the Kaçkar Mountains. In this area, there are glacial lakes, glacial valleys, cirques and set lakes together with glaciers. The deep effects of the Alpine orogenesis (3rd Geological Time) are seen on the geological structure, which is generally composed of granite and granitic rocks. Kaçkar Mountains stand out as a value belonging to highland life culture and social life. All valleys where plant and animal diversity is concentrated, especially the Fırtına Stream and Hemşin Stream, are worth seeing.
