Gahar Lake in Lorestan province is one of the most attractive natural sites situated in the heart of mountains.
Located 121 kilometers to the east of Khorramabad and 25 kilometers to the southwest of Doroud, Gahar Lake is 2,250 meters above sea-level. The lake is divided into two big and small lakes that span over an area of approximately 100 hectares.
The lake emerged after an earthquake that occurred in Oshtorankouh mountains.
Summer is ideal time for visiting Gahar Lake. In fact, people are not permitted to visit the lake before June 4.
During summer, the lake becomes overcrowded due to the large number of tourists visiting the lake. However, during winter, only mountaineers can visit the lake.
The most accessible route for reaching Gahar Lake is via Doroud city, Darb Astaneh Village (Emamzadeh Pir-Vali) and Khiyeh spring. The distance from Doroud to Khiyeh spring is about 17 kilometers.
One can also reach the lake by going through the Gahar mountain pass and traveling a short distance.
The surrounding area of Gahar Lake is rocky and tourists cannot set up tents. Only a small section in the northern section of the lake can be used for setting up tents.
Lorestan Department of Environment has considered a total of 30 cement platforms for setting up tents by tourists. A solar and rechargeable illumination system is used for lighting up the area.
The police forces make the region secure. During the mating season, fishing is forbidden in the vicinity of the area. However, in other seasons fishing is allowed after obtaining the necessary permits from the governmental bodies.
Gahar lake has the potential for turning into an international ecotourism zone if proper planning is done. Gahar lake has abundance of cold water fish such as trout.

A top Iranian official said development of the tourism industry is among key programs of the ninth government.
Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization noted that over past three years a lot of work has been done in the tourism industry, reported IRNA.
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei added that tourism is one of the ways for promoting peace and security worldwide.
Referring to a rise in public awareness about tourism industry over past three years, he underlined that promotion of tourism needs studying more about the subject.
“Tourism industry is on the verge of a major overhaul,“ he added.
Meanwhile, a former deputy head of ICHHTO for investment affairs noted that 75,000 billion rials have been spent on developing tourism infrastructures over past Iranian year (ended March 19).
Seyyed Hassan Mousavi stated that the previous year was a prosperous year and significant investments were made during the period.

The Salt Lake, located about 35 kilometers from Aran and Bidgol is a unique tourism attraction. The lake is essentially a remnant of Markazi Lake and a few thousands-year-old product of flood waters where salt of the region have been dissolved.
According to IRNA, rivers which pour into the lake from the north and west include Roud-e Shur, Roud-e Karaj, Jajroud, Hableh-Roud and Qarasu.
Salt Lake covers an area of 400 square kilometers and is located between the provinces of Isfahan, Semnan and Qom. It extends to Varamin Plain from the north, Aran and Bidgol from the south, Siyahkouh from the east and Qom from the west. However, the easiest access to it is via Aran and Bidgol (north of Isfahan).
The lake is about 800 meters above sea level. Its size and shape varies depending on the water intake and precipitation level in different seasons.