Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park: One of Europe's Great Wildernesses

The Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park covers roughly 85,000 hectares of mountain forest and alpine terrain in the Lesser Caucasus of central Georgia — the country in the South Caucasus — stretching from the Borjomi gorge in the east to the town of Kharagauli in the west, across parts of three regions (Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Shida Kartli). It is one of the largest national parks in Europe, and one of the most ecologically significant protected forests in the Caucasus — a continuous expanse of largely undisturbed temperate and subalpine forest that works as a genuine wildlife corridor rather than an isolated island in a developed landscape. For travelers with a serious interest in hiking, wildlife, and wild country, it is Georgia's single most important destination of its kind.

What is Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park?

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is one of the largest national parks in Europe — about 85,000 hectares of forest and alpine ridge in the Lesser Caucasus of central Georgia, between the spa town of Borjomi and the town of Kharagauli. Created in 1995 (with WWF and German support) and opened to visitors in 2001, it was the first national park in the Caucasus built to international standards. It protects species-rich Caucasian and Colchic forest, brown bear, lynx, wolf, and Caucasian grouse, and rare relic yew groves, and offers Georgia's most developed network of marked day-hikes and multi-day trekking routes, with two visitor centers (Borjomi and Kharagauli) and overnight trail shelters.

History and significance

The park was created in 1995, with the support of WWF and the German government, and opened to visitors in 2001 — the first national park in the Caucasus established to international standards, though the forests it protects had been under some conservation management since the Soviet period, and before that served for centuries as royal and noble hunting grounds. Its creation reflected both the ecological value of the forest — the Caucasian and Colchic mixed-forest types here are among the most species-rich temperate woodland in Europe — and the ambition to build a Georgian eco-tourism infrastructure capable of drawing international hikers. The result is a park whose trail network and visitor infrastructure are more developed than most protected areas in the South Caucasus, while remaining considerably wilder and less organized than the major parks of Western Europe. (Together with the adjacent Borjomi State Nature Reserve, the wider protected area reaches around 851 km², more than 1% of Georgia's territory.)

The landscape

The terrain rises from the forested lower valleys around Borjomi, at roughly 800 meters, through a sequence of ecological zones — mixed deciduous forest of oriental beech, hornbeam, and oak at lower and middle elevations, giving way to fir and spruce conifer forest higher up, then to open subalpine meadow and rocky terrain on the upper ridges above 2,000 meters. The highest point reaches about 2,642 meters (Mt. Sametskhvario), and the contrast between the enclosed green forest valleys below and the open, windswept alpine ridges above is dramatic enough to feel like different countries.

The rivers and streams that drain the park are fast, cold, and exceptionally clear, fed by snowmelt and rain through the summer — a continuous element of sound and movement through the forested valleys. The Borjomula, the Gujaretistskali, and their tributaries rise within or near the park, and following a valley stream up through the forest into the open terrain above is one of the most consistently satisfying hikes the park offers.

Wildlife and forest

The park protects significant populations of the characteristic Caucasian mountain-forest species — brown bear, wolf, lynx, wild boar, roe deer, chamois, and red deer — along with many smaller mammals and a rich bird community. The forest is extensive and connected enough to support viable breeding populations of the larger predators, and the park's management explicitly prioritizes this ecological integrity over maximum visitor access. Wildlife sightings are genuinely possible on multi-day routes into the remoter sections, but the dense forest and the animals' wariness mean encounters are never guaranteed and are best treated as welcome bonuses, not expected highlights.

The birdlife is a particular draw for naturalists — Caucasian (black) grouse, raptors including short-toed snake eagle and lesser spotted eagle, and a range of old-growth-forest birds that are declining across much of Europe but remain relatively intact here. The flora is notable too: the park preserves rare relic groves of yew (Taxus baccata), a "Red List" threatened tree, in a region where such ancient yew stands have survived as almost nowhere else.

The trail network

The marked, mapped trail system is one of the park's most developed features and the main reason most international visitors come — described in materials from the visitor centers in Borjomi and Kharagauli, with around a dozen routes ranging from short half-day walks to multi-day traverses linking the two centers.

The Panorama Trail is the celebrated high-ridge route, following the main ridge system through open subalpine terrain with wide views over the surrounding forest and, on clear days, north to the Greater Caucasus and south across southern Georgia. The combination of the ridge terrain, the open views, and the sense of crossing a genuinely wild landscape makes it one of the more memorable high-mountain hikes in Georgia.

Among the multi-day routes:

• The St. Andrew Trail — about 54 km, up to four days, the most demanding route — descends from the high ridge into the lower forest valleys, combining open alpine sections with atmospheric forest hiking, giving it more ecological variety than a purely high-ridge walk (often preferred by those with botanical or wildlife interests).
• The Nikoloz Romanov Trail — about 43 km over three days, partly on foot and partly on horseback — follows a historic route through the former Romanov royal estate (from the Likani valley through the Lomismta mountains to the Marelisi station), tying the park's natural heritage to the imperial history of Borjomi below.

Shorter routes from both entrances let visitors without the time or gear for multi-day treks experience the real character of the park — the Footprint Trail from the Borjomi/Likani side (about 13–15 km, a day route past rare yew trees and the Mariamtsminda Church) and several loops from Kharagauli among them.

Infrastructure and preparation

The visitor centers in Borjomi and Kharagauli are the main access points, registration facilities, and information resources. Registration before any multi-day route is required — it gives the park authorities the information to respond to emergencies, and gives hikers the latest on trail and shelter conditions. Maps and route descriptions are available at the centers and online.

The overnight shelters along the main trails are simple wooden structures — roof and walls rather than furnished accommodation — so a sleeping bag is essential on any overnight route, as is enough food for the whole hike, since there are no resupply points on the main network. Weather in the high sections can change fast and hard, so carry clothing for cold, rain, and wind regardless of conditions at the trailhead.

Water is generally available from the many streams and springs, and quality in the upper sections (well away from grazing) is typically very good, though treating it is a sensible precaution. The park has a genuine brown bear population, so basic food-storage precautions are appropriate on remote overnight routes — hanging food away from and above sleeping areas is standard practice.

Getting there and access points

• Eastern entrance — Borjomi: the most-used start, about 2.5–3 hours from Tbilisi by car or marshrutka; the visitor center and trailhead are a short way from Borjomi town center.
• Western entrance — Kharagauli: on the main Tbilisi–Batumi railway, reachable by train from either direction without a car — handy for hikers doing the full east-to-west crossing and exiting at Kharagauli rather than returning to the start.
• Some remoter trailheads (e.g. Marelisi, Atskuri) may need a vehicle, possibly 4WD depending on the road and weather.
• Visitor centers: Borjomi (about 1 km from the central park entrance) and Kharagauli (town center).
• Season: roughly May/June through October for hiking; the high ridge trails are generally snow-free from late May/June to early/mid-October, with July–August the most stable. Autumn (September–October) offers excellent conditions, fewer people, and the forest at its most colorful. High trails are snow-closed roughly November to late spring; winter access to the high routes is limited — discuss with the visitor center before planning.