Salt lake Bay-Khol near Erzin — 1.68 km², 990 m, 25.2 ‰ salinity.

Region: Republic of TuvaCoordinates: 50°20′N 95°1′E

Dus-Khol Lake (Erzin)

Erzin Dus-Khol, or Bay-Khol (“rich lake”), sits 12 km north-west of Erzin on the left bank of the Tes-Khem. Area 1.68 km², catchment 32.6 km², elevation 990 m, salinity 25.2 ‰. It lies south-east of the Samagaltay namesake and north of Shara-Nur — name confusion is common, so fix the kozhuun in your plan. Banks are open steppe. Erzin’s salt-lake cluster suits a two-day loop from the settlement: Tore-Khol, Shara-Nur, both Dus-Khol lakes. Stay in Erzin or camp mindful of wind. Fish and swimming are secondary — landscape and mineral water matter most. Leave no trace on salt flats.

How to get there

12 km from Erzin, Erzinsky kozhuun. Dirt tracks along the Tes-Khem.

Best season

May to September

Travel tips & stories

  • Three different Dus-Khol lakes in Tuva — verify kozhuun on the map.

  • 25.2 ‰ — milder than Samagaltay’s but still saline.

  • Open steppe wind — proper tent pegs.

  • Erzin for fuel and overnight.

  • Combine with Tore-Khol in one day.

lakesalt lakesteppeErzin district

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