Golestan means garden of roses in Persian, and the province that bears the name stretches from the Caspian shore across the plain to the foothills of the Alborz. What makes it special is the sudden change: the park's western end is wet, green Hyrcanian forest, and as you travel east, the trees give way to drier woodland, then open steppe and semi-desert, a transition crammed into a short distance.
The wildlife benefits from this diversity. Leopards, brown bears, wolves, wild boar, red deer and the elusive Persian cheetah in the drier fringes have all been recorded in the wider area, though a rider will see little more than birds, and perhaps a deer at dusk. Spring is the time for wildflowers and migrant birds, and autumn colours fill the forest with copper and gold.
The nearest town is Kalaleh, a market town of over thirty thousand people on the plain, with petrol stations, shops, simple restaurants and guesthouses. Gonbad-e Qabus, a larger city a short distance west, is famous for the Gonbad-e Qabus tower, a ten-storey brick tower from the year 1006, rising about seventy metres on a mound, and one of the great early masterpieces of Islamic architecture. The Turkmen community here are renowned for weaving carpets and for raising horses, and the weekly markets are worth a stop.
Riding in the park area means winding roads through forest, with good surface in places but also sections of gravel and rough tarmac. Rain can arrive suddenly, particularly in spring, and the roads become slippery and muddy. Late spring and early autumn are the best seasons. In summer the plain is hot and humid, while the high ground offers cooler air.
Rules apply inside the park, and permits or ranger approval may be required for certain tracks, so ask in advance. Fuel should be filled in Kalaleh or Gonbad before going in, since there is none inside the park boundary. Carry water, snacks and warm clothes, because weather changes quickly.