Big Almaty Lake (Bolshoe Almatinskoe Ozero) is a glacier-fed mountain lake in the Zailiysky Alatau range, about 28 kilometres south of the city centre and 2,510 metres above sea level. The lake is ringed by mountains rising above 4,000 metres, and the drive or hike up through the gorge is as rewarding as the lake itself.
Access is by car or taxi from the city — the road winds through the Almaty Nature Reserve, for which a small fee is payable. The reservoir was created by an earth dam built to supply the city with water; a research station of Kazakhstan's Institute of Space Research sits at the lake's edge. In summer, the surrounding slopes are good for hiking; the path continues above the lake toward the Kosmostantsiya research station at 2,735 metres. The lake is closed in winter when the road ices over. Bring warm clothes even in summer — the temperature drops quickly above 2,000 metres.