The freshwater Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur is not as forested or as large as Khövsgöl Nuur, but it is closer to Ulaanbaatar, relatively undeveloped and just about perfect for camping (though there are a few flies in summer). The lake, birdlife and mountains are now protected within the 77,267-hectare Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park .
According to legend, the lake was formed when an elderly couple forgot to cap a well after fetching water. The valley was flooded until a local hero shot a nearby mountain top with his arrow; the shorn top covered the well and became an island in the lake (Noriin Dund Tolgoi). Another theory is that it was formed by lava flows from a volcanic eruption many millennia ago.
The lake is around 16km long, east to west, and around 4km to 6km wide, north to south. It takes around two hours to walk from Tariat to the northeast corner of the lake (6km). Here you'll find the largest concentration of ger camps, plus some shops selling drinks, snacks, cooking provisions and even gas cannisters for camping stoves. Most of the rest of the ger camps and the best camping spots are then strung out along the northern lakeshore.
