Yedigöller National Park

Yedigöller - seven lakes - was formed by landslides blocking a valley system, leaving a chain of small lakes at different levels linked by streams and waterfalls, set in dense forest of beech, oak, hornbeam and pine. It became a national park in 1965 and covers some 1,623 hectares at about 900 metres, 42 kilometres north of Bolu; the lakes are Büyükgöl, Deringöl, Seringöl, Nazlıgöl, Sazlıgöl, İncegöl and Küçükgöl, and the Kapankaya summit inside the park gives the view over them. For most of the year it is a quiet walking and camping area with marked trails between the lakes, deer and boar in the woods and good birdlife. For about three weeks from late October it becomes the most photographed landscape in northern Turkey: the beech turns gold and copper, the colour reflects off still water, and photographers arrive from across the country before dawn to catch mist on the lakes. The access road is the filter - partly unpaved, winding and slow from any direction, and rough after rain - which keeps numbers down except at peak colour, when the road and the small car parks jam completely.

What you'll find

• The chain of lakes - seven pools at different levels.
• The autumn beech - gold and copper reflected in still water.
• The linking streams - falls and channels between the lakes.
• The forest trails - marked walks around and between them.

When to go

Late October to mid-November for the colour, which is short and moves with the weather. May to September for quiet walking and camping.

Practical notes

The access road is unpaved in places, slow and poor after rain - a normal car manages in dry weather, not always otherwise. Peak colour brings serious congestion. Facilities are a campsite and simple bungalows; book ahead.

Nearby

Lake Abant is south over the mountains; Bolu and the Kartalkaya slopes are nearby.

Key facts