Lar National Park in Iran

In the neighborhood of Tehran, the capital of our beautiful country, there is one of the largest plains of Iran, Lar Plain (Lar National Park), which is known as Iran’s paradise due to its unique nature and numerous springs. This pristine and beautiful area has an interesting history for itself. If you are interested, where is the answer to questions like Lar National Park in Iran? In which province is it located? To know what kind of wildlife and vegetation it has and thousands of other things about this national park, stay with us on Hey Persia blog.

Is the protected area the same as Lar National Park in Iran?

Before talking about Lar National Park in Iran, it is better to first understand the difference between the two concepts of national park and protected area. The protected area is “a part of the ecosystem that includes all living and non-living organisms of that area, such as animals (vertebrates), plants, insects, arthropods, algae and fungi, bacteria and single cells, and even the shape of the land, mineral resources, morphology, water resources. and all physical elements that are protected for specific purposes.

In this area, all creatures, plants and everything in general are protected, and cutting down trees, destroying and hunting without permission prohibited. But a national park is a range of natural resources, which includes resources such as forest, pasture, natural groves, plains, rivers, lakes, and mountains, which are to as outstanding examples of the natural manifestations of that region. Governments put these areas under their protection with the aim of permanently maintaining the state of the ecosystem, as well as creating a safe and suitable environment for the reproduction and breeding of wild animals and the growth of endangered plants and preventing the destructive interference of humans.

Is the protected area the same as Lar National Park in Iran?

Climatic conditions of Lar

Iran has diverse climatic conditions. In such a way that out of 13 different climates in the world, there are 11 types in Iran. Despite all the climatic diversity, unfortunately, the condition of Iran’s protected areas and national parks is not good.

History of the National Park

Lar National Park of Tehran is one of the protected areas of Iran in the central Alborz region near the southwest slope of Damavand, which was as Lar Plain until more than 1354. This area with good weather was protected in 1336 by Iran’s hunting and fishing supervision organization. In 1354, Dasht Lar was as a national park with an area of 73 thousand 500 hectares.

After the revolution in 1361, in addition to reducing its degree of protection, the extent and boundaries of Nir decreased to an area of about 28 thousand hectares. But since 1380, some areas were to it, and about 35,765 hectares of it became Lar plain and the rest became hunting.

Weather in Lar National Park

The climate of Lar National Park is mountainous and cold with long frosty winters and cool summers. This area is by the air front that blows from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Where is Lar National Park?

Dasht Lar is located 70 kilometers from Tehran, on the border between Tehran and Mazandaran provinces, and because of its pleasant climate, it has long been the resort of Iranian kings in the summer season. Lar region has an area of about 76,500 hectares, 35 hectares of which have selected as a national park.

There are 4 access routes to Lar plain, which are:

1- Access route to Lar Pleur plain from Haraz road
From the end of Babai highway in Tehran, you go towards Rodhan and Bomhan and then Imamzadeh Hashem pass. After passing through some hills and several turns of 2-3 kilometers to the city of “Pelor” and after passing through this city, you will reach the Lar Dam’s environmental protection center about a quarter of an hour later.

2- Access route to Lar plain from Abali road “Tehran to Amol”
In Pleur city, there is a path as the Lar National Park route, which continues to Pleur highway and the entrance of the Delichai ranger post in the east of Lar plain (Lar National Park). This paved road is suitable for tourists. The prominent sign of this road is the installation of a golden climbing statue on the left side of the road and at the beginning of the path.

3- Access route to Lar plain through Garmabadr village
Garmabadr village is located in the Rudbar section of Qasran Shemiran and it is a relatively difficult route for tourists, and the access it gives you is from the west of the Lar plain. This route is mostly by ranchers.

4- Access route to Lar plain through Afjeh village
This access route passes through the village of Afjeh, Lavasan Hooij Plain, Fele Person-Imamzadeh Panjton and continues to the Lar River. It is necessary to remind that the Afje route is a difficult route and you must physically prepared for climbing.

There are 4 access routes to Lar plain, which are:

Wild life of the Lar plain

Dasht Lar is an area with a very pleasant climate around Tehran, which is also as the “land of a thousand springs” because of its many springs.

Animal cover of Lar Plain (Lar National Park)

The fauna of the region includes a total of 159 animal species from 5 different categories of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. There are 28 species of mammals, 105 species of birds and 23 species of reptiles in Lar National Park. Red spotted salmon (Salmo trutta fario), one of the rarest species of salmon, lives in this area. In some countries, this fish is also “brown trout”. This fish is on the Red List of the World Union (IUCN) and is in the category of being on the verge of extinction.

Vegetation of Lar Plain (Lar National Park)

In the flora of the region, about 405 plant species belonging to 48 genera and 37 species have identified, of which 35 species are exclusive to Lar National Park. In addition, there are various medicinal plants in the Lar plain, such as valek, angelica, mountain tea, borage, licorice, chicory, thyme and … have existed for a long time. If you travel to this pristine area in the spring, you will see a plain full of purple and purple wild irises, yellow flowers and anemones, which doubles the beauty of Lar Plain (Lar National Park).

The best time to visit Lar National Park

If you want to see a vast plain full of colorful flowers, visit this area in late spring and summer. As we mentioned in the previous parts, visiting this area is until June 15 due to the breeding of animals. In addition to the green plain, Lar National Park also has very cool and pleasant weather in the summer, which increases the pleasure of traveling to this area. In addition, it is also the best time for fishing. Visiting Lar National Park in winter also has its own beauty. However, the coldest months in this area are January and February. But if you like the cold, visiting Lar plain in autumn and winter will be very pleasant and memorable.

Fishing in Lar dam

One of the types of entertainment that you can do in this area is fishing in the Lar Dam. Of course, you should know that before fishing, you must get a permit “daily catch” from the environment unit of Ghoshkhaneh, Pleur and Delijai.