Keketuohai National Geopark: Xinjiang Guide

Keketuohai National Geopark (可可托海世界地质公园) sits in Fuyun County, in the Altai region of far-northern Xinjiang, China. It’s a UNESCO Global Geopark, and it’s genuinely under-covered online. There’s almost no English-language travel writing about it. That’s despite granite domes striking enough that Western rock climbers were making expeditions here back in the 2010s. We covered Keketuohai as a full day trip on 8 August 2026, a couple of days after Heavenly Lake near Ürümqi, as part of a longer Xinjiang trip north into the Altai region. The single most useful thing to know before going is this: skip the optional ¥10 (1.40 USD) bus at Shenzhong Mountain and walk instead. That decision is what made the day.

Our website contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our privacy policy for more details.

Keketuohai Quick Facts

Keketuohai National Geopark is a remote geological park in Fuyun County, Altai region, northern Xinjiang. Entry costs 116 CNY (16 USD) for adults, 71 CNY (10 USD) for seniors (60+), and both include the in-park bus. Plan a full day, and consider walking straight past the optional Shenzhong Mountain bus stop.

This is what we paid first-hand on 8 August 2026. It matches the park operator’s own official ticket page exactly. Some older English-language listings quote a different combination (90 CNY entry plus a separate 36 to 70 CNY bus fee), which appears to be outdated. We’re leading with 116 CNY as the current rate, though it’s still worth double-checking before visiting.

Getting to Keketuohai National Geopark

Keketuohai National Geopark is reached via a short drive from the accommodation area, typically arranged through a local driver rather than public transport. Foreign visitors must buy tickets in person with a passport, since online booking isn’t available to them the way it is for domestic visitors.

Keketuohai Quick Facts

Keketuohai National Geopark is a remote geological park in Fuyun County, Altai region, northern Xinjiang. Entry costs 116 CNY (16 USD) for adults, 71 CNY (10 USD) for seniors (60+), and both include the in-park bus. Plan a full day, and consider walking straight past the optional Shenzhong Mountain bus stop.

This is what we paid first-hand on 8 August 2026. It matches the park operator’s own official ticket page exactly. Some older English-language listings quote a different combination (90 CNY entry plus a separate 36 to 70 CNY bus fee), which appears to be outdated. We’re leading with 116 CNY as the current rate, though it’s still worth double-checking before visiting.

Getting to Keketuohai National Geopark

Keketuohai National Geopark is reached via a short drive from the accommodation area, typically arranged through a local driver rather than public transport. Foreign visitors must buy tickets in person with a passport, since online booking isn’t available to them the way it is for domestic visitors.

We stayed in the newer part of town, across the bridge from Keketuohai’s old town. We arranged a driver for the six-kilometre trip rather than walking at 8am. We paid 30 CNY (4.20 USD) for a fifteen-minute drive that passed through the old town and past flower fields, a genuinely nice warm-up before the park itself. The wider drive through this stretch of the G681 national highway is worth looking up for its own sake. It passes grassy river valleys dotted with Kazakh yurts, then open rocky plateau where wild horses graze.

As a foreigner, tickets can’t be booked online. We bought ours in person at the park with a passport, the same pattern as at other Xinjiang parks in this region. We paid 116 CNY (16 USD) full price, and 71 CNY (10 USD) for the senior ticket, both including the in-park bus. There’s also a separate vehicle ticket for anyone self-driving through Keketuohai. Walking covers the highlights better regardless, since the park is genuinely large. Buses are still needed between the major stops either way.

For the wider logistics of visiting this part of Xinjiang, including the WeChat booking quirks and driver arrangements that carry over between parks in the region, see our Heavenly Lake Tianshan Tianchi day trip guide from earlier in the same trip.

Birch Tree Forest: Keketuohai National Geopark’s Gentle Start

The Birch Tree Forest (白桦林) is the first stop inside Keketuohai National Geopark, a flat 500-metre boardwalk through genuine birch woodland along the river. It’s an easy, low-effort introduction to the park before the more demanding Shenzhong Mountain section.

The boardwalk stays flat and easy, running through birch trees with papery white bark that peels off in strips. A few Kazakh-style yurts sit along the path, some offering dress-up photo options, a fairly typical China tourist-site touch. There’s also a small farm pen with goats next to one of them. Nothing dramatic here, just a gentle warm-up for what comes later.

Two quick bus stops follow: a river viewpoint (about ten minutes to hop off, look around, and get back on), then a flower field backed by mountains. Two trees planted side by side here are known locally as the “husband and wife trees” (夫妻树).

Shenzhong Mountain: Keketuohai National Geopark’s Giant Bell and Irtysh Grand Canyon

Shenzhong Mountain (神钟山), known as the Giant Bell for its shape, is the standout feature of Keketuohai and the location of the Irtysh Grand Canyon. This is also where the granite domes that drew Western trad climbers here in the 2010s are visible, though current public climbing access isn’t confirmed.

Shenzhong Mountain stands 1,680m above sea level, rising 365m above its own base at an 89-degree slope, close to vertical. Xinjiang state media describes it as looking like “an enormous divine bell standing in the mountains, its stone peak piercing the clouds.” That explains the name. This is where the day at Keketuohai actually gets good. From the bus drop-off, it’s about a kilometre on foot before reaching the point where the optional bus becomes available. There’s no way around walking that first stretch regardless.

Two paths run from there: an upper boardwalk and a lower path along the river. The lower path is clearly the better choice. It runs closer to the water, with visible stones underneath and mountains rising behind, and draws far fewer people than the upper route.

Why Skip the Optional Bus at Keketuohai National Geopark

Here’s the actual hot tip: skip the optional 10 CNY (1.40 USD) bus. It’s cheap, and it’s easy to see why people take it, but it bypasses the best part of the entire park. Walking instead adds about 5km more, gently uphill, and it’s completely worth it. A side loop breaks off the main path and circles back near the gorge. It’s stunning, quiet too, since most people don’t bother walking that far. The extra distance added roughly an hour with stops for photos, but there were no regrets. The river through this stretch runs a striking turquoise blue-green, properly rushing over the rocks. It feels genuinely special rather than just photogenic.

This isn’t just our opinion about Keketuohai National Geopark, either. Other travellers have mentioned the exact same pattern at nearby Kanas, in the same Altai region: walking even a short distance past the crowded bus-stop areas thins the crowds out fast, and “a little walking really pays off.” It’s a real feature of how these Xinjiang scenic areas work, not a one-off.

Around the 5.2km mark, the optional bus route rejoins the walking path. Everyone, bus-takers included, walks the final 750 metres together to a small waterfall. It’s underwhelming. A bridge that would have provided a closer view was closed off, and there wasn’t much else to see. Anyone who takes the optional bus only ever sees the Birch Tree Forest, two ten-minute stops, and a walk up to a mediocre waterfall. They miss the entire best part of Keketuohai without realising it.

A note on the granite domes

Shenzhong Mountain’s granite formations are the same domes that drew Western trad-climbing expeditions to Keketuohai in the 2010s. That history is documented in a couple of enthusiastic climbing videos and trip reports from that era. Whether public climbing access still exists here isn’t confirmed by current sources, so don’t plan a trip around it. It’s still a genuinely interesting bit of history behind the rock formation everyone photographs.

Practical Tips for the Keketuohai National Geopark Walk

A few things worth packing beyond the obvious. Sun protection matters more here than expected, since the altitude means UV is intense enough to cause real sunburn on a walk this long. Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses are worth carrying. The river looks clean enough to drink from, but it isn’t, so bring water rather than relying on the stream. Altitude sits around 1,200 to 1,500m across the park, generally not a problem, but worth taking the uphill sections at an easy pace regardless.

Getting Back from Keketuohai National Geopark

The return trip from Shenzhong Mountain took considerably longer than expected, involving two separate buses back to the visitor centre followed by another arranged driver for the final leg to the accommodation.

We left the top around 2:30pm and took the bus down for this one-way leg, paying 5 CNY (0.70 USD) per person. Even with the bus, the trip back took a while. It involved a walk to the Great Bell bus stop, then a second bus past the Birch Tree Forest to the visitor centre. By the time we were actually back, it was closer to 4:30 to 5pm, a genuinely long day. We called a driver again for the last leg, paying another 30 CNY (4.20 USD) to the accommodation.

Dinner After Keketuohai National Geopark

Dinner was a simple, solid meal after a long day on foot, with a large stir-fried chicken dish as the standout at 80 CNY (11 USD) for a half portion.

Keketuohai FAQ

Where is Keketuohai National Geopark?

Keketuohai sits in Fuyun County, in the Altai region of far-northern Xinjiang, China, in the same general region as Kanas and Ürümqi. It’s a remote destination, better suited to travellers already covering the wider Altai/northern Xinjiang area than as a standalone trip.

How much does Keketuohai entry cost?

We paid 116 CNY (16 USD) for adults and 71 CNY (10 USD) for seniors (60+), both including the in-park bus, on 8 August 2026. Some online listings quote higher totals, but our figure matches the park operator’s own official ticket page.

Should Visitors Take the Optional Bus at Keketuohai National Geopark’s Shenzhong Mountain?

No. Walking the lower path instead of taking the 10 CNY (1.40 USD) optional bus reaches the best part of the park: a quiet gorge loop and a striking turquoise river that bus-takers never see. The extra distance is about 5km, gently uphill, and well worth the time.

Is Rock Climbing Allowed at Keketuohai National Geopark?

Unconfirmed. The granite domes at Shenzhong Mountain have a real history with Western trad climbers in the 2010s, but no current source confirms public climbing access. Don’t plan a climbing trip around it without confirming directly with the park first.

What’s the best time of year to visit Keketuohai?

August to October, according to multiple sources, with September to October offering peak birch forest colour. Our 8 August visit sits right at the start of that recommended window.

Do foreign visitors need to book Keketuohai tickets online in advance?

No, and in fact they can’t. Tickets must be bought in person at the park with a passport, the same pattern seen at other parks in this part of Xinjiang.

Have a question about visiting Keketuohai this guide missed? Drop it in the comments below for a reply.