# Apuseni Natural Park

The Apuseni Natural Park (Romanian: Parcul Natural Apuseni) is a protected area (natural park category V IUCN) situated in Romania, in the administrative territory of counties Alba (28%), Bihor (32 %), and Cluj (40%).

## Location

The Natural Park is located in western Romania in the central-northern side of the Apuseni Mountains, comprising part of the Bihor Mountains to the south and Vlădeasa Mountains [ro] to the north. It is situated on the administrative territory of 16 communes, which include 53 localities fully and 8 others partially. The Park features 3 resorts: Boga, Fântânele, and Vârtop.

## Natural reserves

The Apuseni Natural Park with an area of 75,784 ha (187,270 acres) was declared natural protected area by the Law Number 5 of March 6, 2000 (published in the Monitorul Oficial of Romania, Number 152 of April 12, 2000) and represents a mountainous area (mountain peaks, cirques, caves, valleys, karst areas, forests, and pastures), with flora and fauna specific to the Western Carpathians.
Natural reserves included in the park:
* Alba County
** Avenul din Hoanca Urzicarului [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
** Coiba Mare Cave [ro], 0.5 ha (1.2 acres)
** Ghețarul de la Vârtop Cave [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
** Izbucul de la Cotețul Dobreștilor [ro], 0.2 ha (0.49 acres)
** Izbucul Mătișești [ro], 2 ha (4.9 acres)
** Izbucul Tăuzului [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
** Scărișoara Cave, 1 ha (2.5 acres)
* Bihor County
** Avenul Borțigului [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
** Bears' Cave, 1 ha (2.5 acres)
** Cârligați Peak [ro], 10 ha (25 acres)
** Cerbului Cave - Avenul cu Vacă [ro], 45 ha (110 acres)
** Cetatea Rădesei Cave [ro], 20 ha (49 acres)
** Cetățile Ponorului [ro], 14.9 ha (37 acres)
** Ciur Izbuc Cave [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
** Fâneața Izvoarelor Crișul Pietros [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
** Ghețarul Focul Viu Cave [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
** Groapa de la Bârsa [ro], 30 ha (74 acres)
** Groapa Ruginoasa - Valea Seacă [ro], 20.4 ha (50 acres)
** Micula’s Cave [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
** Pietrele Boghii [ro], 38.4 ha (95 acres)
** Pietrele Galbenei [ro], 6.3 ha (16 acres)
** Platoul carstic Lumea Pierdută [ro], 39 ha (96 acres)
** Platoul carstic Padiș [ro], 39 ha (96 acres)
** Poiana Florilor [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
** Săritoarea Bohodeiului [ro], 32.9 ha (81 acres)
** Smeii de la Onceasa Cave [ro], 0.5 ha (1.2 acres)
** Valea Galbenei [ro], 70.5 ha (174 acres)
** Valea Sighiștelului [ro], 412.6 ha (1,020 acres)
** Vârful Biserica Moțului [ro], 3 ha (7.4 acres)
* Cluj County
** Molhașul Mare de la Izbuc [ro], 8 ha (20 acres)

## Rivers and lakes

The surface waters of the Apuseni Natural Park belong to the hydrographic basins of the rivers:
* Arieșul Mare and its tributaries, Gârda Seacă, Popasele [ro], and Cobleș.
* Someșul Mic and its left headwater, the Someșul Cald, together with the latter's tributaries, Alunul Mare [ro], Alunul Mic [ro], Beliș, Ponor [ro], Valea Firii [ro], Barna [ro], Valea Izbucului, and Călineasa.
* Crișul Negru and its tributaries, Crișul Pietros (together with its headwater, Galbena [ro], and its tributaries, Valea Mare Cărpinoasa and Căuși [ro]) and Crișul Băița (together with its tributaries, Hoanca Moțului [ro] and Sighiștel).
In the northern part of the park, there is the Beliș-Fântânele Lake [ro], a reservoir in the Gilău Mountains, built between 1970 and 1974. Located at an altitude of 1,050 m (3,440 ft), the reservoir covers an area of 826 ha (2,040 acres) and has a volume of 225–250 million cubic metres (0.054–0.060 cu mi) of water. It was formed after the damming of the Someșul Cald downstream of its confluence with the Beliș stream; the dam has a height of 92 m (302 ft) and a length of 410 m (1,350 ft). From the reservoir, the water is diverted through a 8.475 km (5.266 mi) tunnel to the turbines of the Mărișelu Hydroelectric Power Station.