The Dariganga Natural Park was established in 2004 to protect several natural sites including Lake Ganga, the Moltsog Els sand dunes and the extinct volcano Altan Ovoo.

Lake Ganga

Ganga is a freshwater lake located 12 km from Dariganga sum, in Sükhbaatar Province. Winds have carried desert sands here, which surrounded water from 21 springs—including the Dagshin spring—to form the lake. It covers an area of 4 km² and its name means eternal. The area benefits from a microclimate created by the meeting of steppe and desert.

Rare bird species listed in the Mongolian Red Book, such as demoiselle cranes, swans and wild geese, gather here by the thousands each summer. The lake is renowned for having hosted over 1,000 migratory swans at the same time.

Northeast of Lake Ganga, the "Orgikh" spring flows with crystal-clear, cold water. It surges from 50 meters deep amid the sands. Locals say that the louder you shout, the more forcefully the spring water flows.

The Extinct Volcanoes of Dariganga

East of the Moltsog Els sand dunes, near Dariganga village, the extinct volcano Altan Ovoo, also called Dari Ovoo, rises to 1,354 meters above sea level. It is venerated by the Dariganga people (a Mongolian ethnic group) living in the region. The ovoo at its summit is forbidden to women. In 1913, by decree of the Bogdo Gegeen, this mountain was declared sacred. From its summit, looking toward the southeast, you can see the volcano Shiliin Bogd rising to 1,777 meters, as well as several other craters to the southwest.

On the border between Dariganga and Naran sums, on the western slope of the Buyan Dulaan volcano—covered in lush vegetation due to its past volcanic activity—a cave has formed at 1,752 meters altitude. To enter, you must crawl for 20 meters before being able to stand upright. At the center, about a dozen people can stand comfortably.