Shikahogh State Reserve

Location:                       South Armenia, Syunik Province 
Size:                             12,137 hectares
Altitude:                         700 m – 2,400 m 
Year of establishment:  1958

Landscape: Mountain ranges, small streams, springs, gorges, cliffs, virgin broadleaf forests (oak, hornbeam), rocky massifs, subalpine meadows, caves 
Flora: Georgian and Caucasian oak, Caucasian hornbeam, plane groves, oriental beech, honeysuckle, pomegranate, date-plum, common fig, orchids 
Fauna: Caucasian leopard, bezoar goat, brown bear, wild boar, Caucasian black grouse, Caspian snowcock, Armenian viper, wild cat

Shikahogh is one of the few places in Armenia where dense pristine broadleaf forests have survived.
An inimitable landscape is created by lush vegetation flourishing in a humid and warm climate, rugged terrain, crystal-clear streams, cliffs and deep gorges. Some parts of the Meghri ridge are marked by steep rocky massifs protruding from the forest. 
Flora and fauna represent a unique combination of species with a high diversity of relict and endemic species. The extremely steep terrain brings about a great diversity of climatic conditions with almost every gorge exhibiting its own microclimate. Apart from the rich natural heritage, the local environment still retains the old rustic Armenian traditions and customs. 
Visitors will discover historical monuments ranging from Iron Age tombs, populated and abandoned settlements to medieval churches and monasteries hidden in deep gorges or situated on rocky slopes along the route.

Did you know … 
that the inaccessible rough and steep mountainous landscape in Shikahogh is an ideal habitat for the bezoar goat? You can watch these animals from the observation point near Chakaten, which offers a spectacular view of the typical reddish mountain scenery of Shikahogh.