Ilgaz National Park (Turkish: Ilgaz Milli Parkı) is in Western Karadeniz of Turkey. Ilgaz is a ski resort, perfect for day trips from Ankara.
The national park is centred on the Ilgaz mountain range, which sits right on the geographical and ecological border between the gently rolling Black Sea Region to north and the windswept hills of Central Anatolia to south. Its immensely verdant spruce forests are easily distinguishable no matter which direction you are approaching from, but they are in an especially stark contrast with the dusty plains and hills to south—if you were just passing through, you could swear you saw that solid line which divides what is called as "the sea of trees" in Turkish (ağaç denizi) above from the eternal steppes below.
The national park was established in 1976.
The highest point of the Ilgaz Mountains is Hacettepe, 2,587 m (8,488 ft) above the sea level.
Due to the elevation, the temperature on Ilgaz can be (and usually is) considerably lower than its surroundings. Snow should be expected between October and April.
Postcard-perfect vistas of deep valleys dressed with emerald forests are the main sight around here. In winter, the scenery is almost Nordic—black silhouettes of spruces towering against snow white ground.
- Skiing. Teleskis are available.
Skiing. Teleskis are available.
A restaurant offering Turkish pizza (pide) on the menu does exist within the park.