Altyn-Emel means golden saddle, and legend says it takes the name from the shape of a pass between two ranges. The park lies between the Dzungarian Alatau to the north and the Ili river and Kapchagay reservoir to the south, and its east side is a country of coloured hills. The Aktau mountains show cliffs of white, yellow and pink clay and sandstone, banded like layer cake, and the Katutau hills nearby offer ochre and rust. At sunset the colours seem lit from within.
People have been here for millennia. The park holds many burial mounds, kurgans, of the Saka, the nomadic horsemen the Greeks called Scythians, and the Besshatyr group, with its large mounds in a line like a row of loaves, is the most impressive. The Silk Road passed through the Ili valley, and caravans moved between China and the west along it, so the region is full of traces of trade and passage. Rock carvings, petroglyphs of ibex and hunters, are found in the canyons.
The nature here is varied. The Ili river corridor hosts poplar and willow forest called tugai, home to deer and birds, while the hills hold ibex and argali sheep. The weather is extreme, with hot summers and cold, windy winters, and sudden storms can turn dry riverbeds into rushing torrents. Spring and early autumn are the best times for colour and mild days. The summit panoramas over the plain are huge.
Practical advice is simple: this is remote country. Roads in the park are mostly unpaved and sandy, a good place for a jeep or a trail bike with experience. Fuel should be filled in Almaty or at towns along the main road, such as Kapchagay, and water, food, and a spare tyre kit are important. The park charges entry and has rules about camping. A guide from the park will take you to the best viewpoints. Allow a full day and stay for sunset.