The Utrish Nature Reserve is one of the most interesting natural attractions in the vicinity of Anapa. Here, on an area of 10 thousand hectares, groves of relic junipers grow. Previously, there was a camping site on the territory of the reserve, where people rested in tents, but now a visit to the Utrish reserve is possible only with an excursion.
The Utrish Nature Reserve near the Great Utrish village was established in 2010 on the site of the nature reserves Great Utrish and Small Utrish. The territory of the forest reserve is located between the Sukko village and the Abrau-Durso village. The protected regime in these places was created to preserve the subtropical ecosystem unique to the Kuban, where juniper forests grow. The age of some junipers in the reserve reaches 700 years.
In addition to junipers, pistachio trees grow in the Utrish Nature Reserve, as well as dozens of other plants and trees. Many of them are listed in the Red Book, and some are even endemic. However, most of the territory (more than 90%) is covered with Juniper Forests.
In addition to rare plants, dozens of rare species of animals and amphibians are found in the reserve. Nikolsky`s Turtle became the symbol of the reserve. This is a rare species of turtle listed in the Red Book. More than 5 thousand individuals live in the Utrish Nature Reserve. In summer, it is almost impossible to see them, since they do not leave the shady and humid areas of the forest, but in spring they can be found even on the sightseeing trails.
Currently, a visit to the Utrish reserve is possible only as part of an excursion group, accompanied by an employee of the reserve. Individual visits to the reserve are prohibited, which can be read on the stands at each entrance to the reserve. Excursions to the reserve are held three times a week.
The most popular route is the Canyon. Here you can see a canyon with steep cliffs – the main natural attraction of the reserve. Also in 2020, the route "Savina cleft, Partisan trail" was created. It is dedicated to the events of the WWII. During the defense of Novorossiysk and the battle on "Malaya Zemlya", partisan detachments operated in this area. Also in the evenings, an excursion on a ship, called "Sea", is organized from the pier of the village. The ship sails along the four lagoons of the reserve. Sometimes walking tours are organized along the Seashore Route, to the Pearl Waterfall.
Until 2020, the protected area experienced the strongest anthropogenic impact due to wild camping, which was located tens of kilometers along the seashore from the Great Utrish village to the Pearl Waterfall and then at the Third Lagoon. Tents were literally under every tree. Nudists and other informal people lived in them. The beaches in all four lagoons of the Utrish Nature Reserve were nudist.
In 2020, due to careless handling of fire, a strong forest fire occurred in the Utrish Nature Reserve, which destroyed up to 80 hectares of relic juniper trees. Fires are very dangerous for juniper forests. They are easily ignited due to the large amount of essential oils in the composition of wood and juniper bark. After that, the local authorities banned not only the possibility of installing tents in the reserve, but also just its individual visit with a short tour. This has had a beneficial effect on the environment. Now, when you enter the reserve, you see only the relic forest, and not the tents of nudists, things scattered around them and bonfires where food is cooked.
