Lar National Park
Lar National Park is an important protected area of approx. 30,000 hectares in size, located at the foothills of Mount Damavand (5,610m), the highest mountain in the Middle East, northeast of Tehran. Lar is also the name of the river, the dam and the lake created by it.
Protected by the Department of Environment of Iran, the area is home to various wildlife species, including wild goats, hedgehogs, goats, lizards (Laudakia nupta), snakes (Natrix), Eurasian eagle-owls, Eurasian sparrow hawks, kestrels, short-eared owls, wild boars, brown bears, vipers, partridges, agama, red-spotted trout and many others.
Lar National Park also has than 400 species of plants, including chamomile, Astragalus, juniper, thistles, German chamomile, Sideritis, Liquorice, Chicory, Iris, common sage, broadleaf plantain and yarrow. Furthermore, 35 species are endemic to the region. In the summer from beginning of June to the end of August, nomads are issued special permits to bring their livestock goats, cattle, sheep, to graze to the pastures in the specified areas of the Lar National Park.
At Adventure Iran we have created a number of exciting trekking, mountain biking, camping and Ultra Trail Running routes across the Lar National Park, all running from mid-spring until mid-autumn. The best time to visit the area is from May to the end of June, when the grasslands are covered with wild flowers. During this time the water level in the rivers is quite high and all travellers must be prepared for an adventurous journey! The Ultra Trail Mount Damavand (UTMD) marathon takes place in May. It is the first 100km-long race in Iran and has been held annually since 2017.
Please note that all visitors need a permit from the Department of Environment to visit the park, which means that some extra time is required to prepare all the paperwork for the tours.
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