Gahar Lake Off-Limits

Gahar Lake, a popular tourist site in Lorestan Province, has been designated off-limits until June 5 to protect the region's biodiversity, the top provincial environment official said.

"The site will reopen to tourists during summer, but will be closed off again starting September 22," Amir Zalaqi, the head of the provincial DOE, was quoted as saying in a statement carried by the department's website.

The protected area is home to a wide range of wild species, including leopards, wild sheep, wolf, wild boar and wild goat, as well as aquatic species like rainbow trout and turtles. Local flora includes oak, weeping willow and Persian turpentine tree.

The mesmerizing Gahar Lake is located in the heart of Oshtorankouh mountains in Lorestan Province.

Dubbed “the jewel of Oshtorankouh” by the locals, the lake is a reward for those willing to endure a five-hour trek up the mountain as there is no other way to reach the lake. The scenic route and unique vistas, however, make the trek a far more enjoyable experience than it sounds.

Given the lake’s location in the Oshtorankouh Protected Area, there is a strict no-hunting and fishing policy that has helped immensely to preserve the unspoiled landscape.