Georgia is amazing, but Georgian National Parks are spectacular. You’ll encounter none of the issues with parks in places like America, New Zealand, Western Europe, or even Canada – no excessive fees, no congested roads, no major crowds, and no major tourist industries/developments right outside the gate.
In fact, in Lagodekhi, other than the steep terrain, finding the park may be the biggest challenge, as it sits quietly and humbly at the end of a calm, residential road.
Lagodekhi National Park boasts several great day-trip trails, many to local waterfalls, and more are being added. Make sure to stop at the informative Visitor’s Center just inside the main gate. The staff is friendly and full of great, up-to-date info on the trails and region in general. And if you’re in luck, a furry friend may decide to join you for your walk.
Otherwise, if you’re planning to conquer the trek up to Black Rock Lake on the border with Dagestan (Russia), make sure to stretch your legs – the Caucasus rise to over 3000 meters here and can be unforgiving on the way up (and worse on the way down).
Time Needed
Three days, though we did it in two.
Distance and Elevation
50km round-trip, 2500m change in elevation
Difficulty
Black Rock Lake Trail is strenuous, however there are plenty of other less strenuous hikes in the park. Always check with the Visitors Center.
Distance from Tbilisi
2.5 hours
Reason to Go
Lagodekhi National Park is unique for a few reasons.
First, Lagodekhi allows you to hike in a remote tri-border region and potentially swim in/along an active border with Russia. And honestly, when else can you hike to to a Russian or Azeri border without any issues? Here you can do both.
Second, Lagodekhi contains some of the best-preserved forests in all of Georgia. You won’t notice it initially, but after a few weeks or months of traveling in Georgia, a hike in Lagodekhi National Park feels like an exploration of Pandora, the fictional planet from Avatar.
Lastly, Lagodekhi is one of the only places you’ll be able to see wildlife (such as mountain goats, bears, and exotic birds). Unfortunately, years of illegal hunting in Georgia have decimated any remnant of “wildlife” in the rest of the country.
Transportation
Public mashrutky run to/from Lagodekhi on a very regular basis (10+ per day). One way costs about 10 GEL from both Tbilisi and Telavi. Keep in mind, though, that the park is about 2km from the town, just up the hill.
Otherwise, a one-way taxi may cost you close to 100GEL to/from Tbilisi.
Accommodation
Lagodekhi town is full of wonderful guesthouses. We stayed at Kiwi House and would highly recommend both the home and the hosts.
Food
There is a great little public market it town where you can stock up on snacks and treats (or even wine and chacha, as we did, as a “night cap” on the mountain. Not that you’ll need one, though.) Otherwise, check online for the most up to date establishments.
Regional Combinations
Most people go to Lagodekhi deliberately, or on their way to/from Azerbaijan. However, you could easily do the park on the front or back end of a great wine tour of Kakheti and the Alazani Valley, including the nearby lower valley based out of Sighnaghi or the upper valley based out of Telavi.
Alternatively, if you are set on the park alone, consider a short half-day detour to Davit Gareja on your way in or out. It will be worth it.
The drive to Lagodekhi National Park is both wonderful and terrifying. It is wonderful because you’re able to drive through the beautiful hills around Sighnaghi before crossing the vast, epic Alazani Valley of the lower Kakheti region. It is terrifying because, on a clear day, you’ll immediately see the menacing Dagestan (Caucasus) Mountains looming in the distance. (For some reason, even though they are lush and green most of the year, they always seem to be dark and in shadows.) The drive from Tbilisi takes about 2.5 hours.
As mentioned above, the Lagodekhi village is full of charming guest houses, many within walking distance of the National Park main gate. We stayed at the Kiwi House, named after the beautiful, mature kiwi trees lining the court yard. The food was plentiful, the rooms spacious, and the host kind. What more could you ask for?
Yet another delicious welcome dinner (and pre-trek carb-load). Tomato/cucumber Georgian salad, Imereti cheese, puri bread, chicken and mashed potatoes (she knew we were Americans!), Georgian shredded chicken salad, and fresh eggplant.
The interiors of traditional Georgian homes are quite spacious.
And the Black Rock Lake hike begins. Although this photo does not do it justice, the trees in Lagodekhi National Park are both large and beautiful. As mentioned, this is one of the few places in Georgia with preserved, old-growth forest still intact.
Because of the tri-border region in which Lagodekhi National Park sits, you are very likely going to encounter border guards – either heading up for duty, on duty, or coming down for rest. For every two weeks of duty, border guards are given one week of rest at home with family.
As you continue to gain elevation, you’ll notice slight shifts in vegetation. Here, we encountered entire forest floors of elegant ferns.
There is also a chance you may encounter some Russians. We met two Russian men within the first two hours of our trek. They were older, unshaven, and carried simple, dark canvas packs on their backs. They didn’t speak any English, but had been living in/around Gerogia long enough to speak some Kartuli (Georgian). We soon struck up some basic conversation in Kartuli and kept a good pace together up to the first shelter.
One of the Russians would stop every few minutes, inspect one or two trees, and pluck off a few mushrooms from a multitude of choices. When we arrived at the first shelter mid-afternoon, he pulled out a large trash bag filled to the brim with the palm-sized treats.
Within minutes, he’d started a fire and began to place the mushrooms on the fresh charcoal, insisting they only needed 2-3 minutes per side. After flipping them and adding a dash of salt, he served them fresh and warm on a picnic table nearby.
As a lover of mushrooms, I can say wholeheartedly that these were the best and freshest mushrooms I’d ever tasted. Plucked fresh from a healthy tree, placed directly on hot charcoal, and sprinkled lightly with a dash of salt. Delicious.
Within minutes, we had a small feast before us. Out of those same small, canvas bags came jars of fresh ratatouille, homemade pickles, and fresh tomatoes, potatoes and cucumber. Although they declined our offer of energy bars and other processed “camping” foods (the mushroom collector admitted he was former Spetznaz, or Special Forces, and only ate things “naturel”), they were delighted when we pulled out the amber wine and chacha we’d purchased at the Lagodekhi market.
Although it was only 2pm and we had nearly four hours of uphill trekking ahead of us, we soon found ourselves toasting repeatedly to America, to Russia, to family, to friends, to love, and to those we’d lost. It was a supra in every way, the way it always has been.
It goes without saying that the remainder of the hike that day was an interesting experience.
(Keep in mind, though, that normally you’d spend the night at this first hut, having taken your time with the initial climb. In our case, we had to keep a fast pace and make it to at least 2500m before calling it a day).
As mentioned earlier, if you’re lucky, a furry friend may join you at the Visitor Center and stay with you for the entirety of the trip. In our case, this tiny dog (we named her “Snickers”) served as our fearless leader.
An hour or two after departing the shelter, you’ll break the tree line and have sweeping views of the mountains, clouds, and Alazani Valley below.
Continuing the climb, you’ll begin using ridgelines as long, drawn out switchbacks to make your way deep into the mountains.
Once above 2000m, you very well may see small pockets of snow. This was in late June.
If you do decide to complete this hike in two days, the sunset above the tree line our your first (and only) night on the mountain will make it well worth the effort.
Georgians know how to bury their dead with a view.
If you choose to sleep above the tree line at any point in this hike, you will be rewarded. You may also luck out by beating the fog to Black Rock Lake. We stopped walking on the far side of the ridge and slept in our bivvy sacks just below, out of the wind. The weather was spectacular – a warm, morning sun with a light breeze.
As you near the Border Guard hut, you’ll begin to encounter the alpine lakes that this region is known for.
A key component of this trek is getting up close and personal with the Russian Dagestan border. The border at the end of the trail is actually a lake – half of Black Rock Lake is Georgia, and the other half Russia. As a result, you’ll need to check-in with Georgian Border Guards and allow them to escort you on your hike the final few kilometers. You’ll come over a ridgeline and spot the Border Guard hut in the distance – see above. Photos are not allowed anywhere near the hut, so be respectful.
Since most hikers sleep at the shelter and can take a few hours to reach the border area, we actually caught them off guard during their morning routine. Their two massive Caucasus sheep dogs began barking as soon as we were within 100 meters – one of them even tried to eat our dog (still with us), so we held her over our head for the final 20m. The guards pulled back the dogs, greeted us warmly, and opened a flap into their tent. We immediately enjoyed hot coffee and snacks while warming up near their cast iron stove. After checking our passports and signing us in the logbook, we were on our way to the border.
Georgian Border Guards are always friendly, professional, and generous. We encountered them in several regions in Georgia – Tusheti, Khevsureti, Kazbegi, and Svaneti, to name a few. In each of these cases, they went out of their way to ensure our safety and comfort. You should expect the same.
About an hour or so later, you’ll arrive at Black Rock Lake. And what a sight it is. Clearly named for the black rock ringing the lake, there will also be patches of white snow alongside the crystal clear water. Snickers, up ahead, beat us to the best view.
If you’re really feeling adventurous, convince yourself (or your travel companions) to take a swim in the lake. (Notice the snow on the bank.) You may lose your breath and temporarily lose sensation to your extremities, but you’ll forever be able to say that you not only walked, but also swam along a Russian border.
Your Lagodekhi dog, meanwhile, will likely prefer to bask in the sun.
As you probably already know, steep climbs are tough on the way up, but even worse on the way down. Perhaps this an even better reason to take a dip in the ice cold lake.