Lena Pillars
Jagged orange limestone cliffs rising along the Lena River in Yakutia.
About
Along the banks of the Lena River, tall rock walls of rust-orange limestone rise in rows of spires and towers, carved by extreme temperature swings. The Lena Pillars Nature Park protects the stretch.
Most visitors see them by boat from Yakutsk, with short walks to viewpoints. The rock also holds fossils from the Cambrian period, among the oldest animal remains.
It is remote: allow time and book with an operator.
History
The pillars were formed over hundreds of millions of years, and the surrounding region is among the coldest inhabited areas on Earth. They were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2012. The Lena River was an early route for Russian explorers, and Yakutsk was founded on its banks in 1632. The region is the homeland of the Sakha (Yakut) people. The nature park that protects the pillars was created in 1994.
UNESCO World Heritage: Inscribed 2012.