Çubuk Karagöl Nature Park

About

Çubuk Karagöl Nature Park lies in the Çubuk district of Ankara, 68 km from the city centre and 28 km from the town of Çubuk. Designated in 2011 with an area of 11 hectares, it was later enlarged to 114 hectares through a boundary revision. Its core assets are the Karagöl lake and the surrounding forest; the microclimate created by the lake supports nine different EUNIS habitat classes within a small area. Surveys have recorded 187 plant species from 46 families, 11 of them endemic to Türkiye, including the Ankara crocus, Crataegus tanacetifolia and Phlomis armeniaca. Scots pine, black pine, hornbeam, hazel and aspen are also common. The fauna comprises 41 bird, 13 mammal, 6 reptile and 4 amphibian species, among them fox, badger, bear, kestrel and coot. The park is used mainly for picnics and also offers tent camping, a walking route and viewpoints.