Bola Protected Area

Bola Protected Area covers 3,907 hectares and is one of the tourist attractions of Mazandaran Province, with a small part of it lying in Semnan Province. It is a outstanding example of Hyrcanian beech forests, directly influenced by both the semi-humid Hyrcanian climate and the semi-arid Irano-Turanian climate.

Bola lies near Kiasar National Park and shares a border with the Dodangeh and Chahardangeh Wildlife Refuge and the Parvar Protected Area. Its exact location is the Dodangeh district of Sari County and the Poshtkuh rural district of Shahmirzad. Bola is a mountainous area with northern and southern slopes and steep gradients, situated at the upper limit of the Caspian forests, and parts of it consist of summer pastures. Because of the area's mountainous terrain and the lack of suitable access roads, its nature has remained largely untouched.

Bola Protected Area has high biodiversity, including many animal and plant species. Its fauna includes leopard, wolf, jackal, maral (red deer), roe deer, wild goat, wild sheep (pazan), brown bear, wild boar, red fox, badger, forest marten (sable), chukar partridge and see-see partridge. The area also has diverse vegetation, including dense, thick forests, especially boxwood stands. Important tree species here include beech, hornbeam, Caucasian oak (tall oak), Caucasian alder, wild pear (telka), wild cherry and cherry plum.