Tickets
Hotels
Tours
Insurance
Trains
RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
The route along the Meshoko River (also Mishoko) and the Meshoko gorge originates on the outskirts of Kamennomostskiy. It is impossible to call this route popular, because it is lost in the shadow of the most visited attractions of Adygea, rufabgo waterfalls and Khadjokhskaya Gorge, but objectively speaking, there is no less more interesting and spectacular. Therefore, if you like interesting hiking, then you will definitely like the route along the river along the gorge, especially since it is completely free, unlike the same Rufabgo and gorge.
What is good, there are usually few tourists here, the trails are not equipped, and in general the place is not commercialized, unless you count the Meshoko Extreme Park at the beginning of the route. On the river you will see several small waterfalls and water slides, the banks form beautiful rocky cliffs of the gorge, there are grottoes and shallow caves. In the pools of waterfalls you can swim, although the water is very cold. In one of the caves you can see the excavations of the site of an ancient man, but it is not so easy to find it (here are its coordinates N44 16.560 E40 12.151). The further you go, the more interesting it becomes, and the more exciting views you will meet, but the most saturated section is at the beginning of the route from the highway from Kamennomostsky to Guzeripl, and then the waterfalls and grottoes become smaller.
You can visit the gorge yourself, including with children. Special training for the route is not required, but the experience of hiking does not hurt. Be sure to wear comfortable hiking shoes, preferably trekking boots, and trekking poles will not interfere. Also bring water and something to eat. The route is safe, but in the off-season it is very deserted, so going here warn someone about it, and take means of communication.
🕐 Working hours
around the clock, it is better to visit during the day.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
free.
🚶 How to get there
the Meshoko River and gorge are on the outskirts of Kamennomostsky village and there are several trails leading to the route (River and gorge on the map).
You can visit the Meshoko gorge on your own or with a group. If you like extreme types of entertainment, then you can join a group in Kamennomostsky or Meshoko Extreme Park to pass through the gorge along waterfalls (canyoning) with special equipment and an instructor.
If you decide to go on your own, you can do without equipment, taking a walking route along one of several trails. It is best to use a navigator or smartphone with applications for this Organic Maps in them, all the trails, waterfalls and grottoes are marked quite accurately.
The main part of the route passes along the Northern Bank of the river (from Kamennomostsky), although in some places you can go to the other side on the stones. It is most convenient to enter the route at one of two points:
- From Meshoko Extreme Park. Having reached the Extreme Park on foot or by car (you can leave it here in the parking lot for free), you should walk about 200 meters along the signs on the trees along the gorge to the trail that goes sharply down in the river and waterfalls, and then you can follow other trails along the river.
- From the Kamennomostsky-Guzeripl Highway. This method is more interesting, because you will pass all the most interesting places that you will miss when entering the gorge from the Extreme Park. But for this you need to get from Kamennomostsky on foot or by taxi to the bridge over the Meshoko River, and there find a path for descent. The trail begins in front of the bridge, if you move from Kamennomostsky. Unfortunately, there is nowhere to leave a personal car there, you will have to park it along the road a little further from the bridge, for example, in the parking lot near the Rufabgo waterfalls.
On the Internet, you can also find mention of the third entry point through an abandoned quarry in Kamennomostsky, but in fact this is the same path as from the Extreme Park.
Further along the route, both trails (from the Extreme Park and from the bridge) converge. Then you can move at your discretion along the trails or directly along the river, overcoming the rapids of waterfalls through the rocks, but without experience and equipment, we do not recommend doing this. After about two kilometers of movement along the route, all the most beautiful and interesting places end, and you can follow one of the trails up from the gorge, and return to the Meshoko Extreme Park on a good dirt road. Also at the end of the route there is a trail to the village of Dakhovskaya to the observation deck of the Savran cable car, but this is a very long way.