The Buyant River curls around the southern edge of Khovd, and the willow-shaded park along the south bank is the city's main green space. Families come here on summer evenings for picnics; older men play khorlon (a Mongolian draughts variant) at the wooden tables; teenagers swim from the rocks below the bridge.
The walk along the river makes a pleasant hour after the heat of the day. The Khovd River proper, the much larger river the Buyant feeds into, is about 30 km west and offers serious rafting and fishing in summer — local operators run trips. The Buyant park is free and open all day.